Crossed Paths (Editing)
by Quakey
Summary: Fate seems like a simple small Exceed, but she has a dark past behind her, and the present seems to be testing her patience. Along with her partner Ethan, they become Fairy Tail Mages and go through a lot with their new family. But what does the future hold for them? Who are all these cloaked figures, both bad and good? What is Fate hiding from those she trusts?
1. Prolouge (Edited)

**(Story is currently being edited. Things will be changed and such, so you might have to come back and read it again.)**

 **Story may be Rated M in some parts for intense (sorta) violence and adult themes (later on, mostly)  
There is swearing and slight violence in parts that are Rated T  
I'm warning you now! If I think a chapter is Rated M "worthy", I will warn you at the start of it  
The prologue might be a bit triggering, just a heads up!**

* * *

I remember the day like it was yesterday. The loud sound of a gunshot, the feeling of my little sister flinching in my arms as I held her. I couldn't forget it. After that I only had 2 family members, which soon went down to 1 and almost instantly; it was only me that was left. I was alone for the longest time until I came across someone who is now my partner, Ethan Hibiki. Along with his little sister, Takanashi Hibiki, and her partner Sina who was a small blue and white dragon, and also his foster parent Terra who was the Earth Dragon; they all took care of me. When they asked my name, I didn't give it. My name reminded me of too much. That's when Terra gave me a name himself. Fate.

All of the sudden on July 7th, x777, Terra disappeared. Following not long after, Takanashi and Sina disappeared, which left Ethan and I along. When Ethan broke down about how they left him, I told him that sometimes, people leave you because they've taught you a lesson or are teaching you one. When he yelled at me, I yelled at him and said that better things were going to come, because better things came for me. I had met him, Terra, Takanashi and Sina. To be honest, I wanted to hide and disappear myself; but I knew that wasn't going to be possible. The next morning, Ethan woke me and he looked ready for travel. That's when we left to travel, to find a new home and a new family. It's been 10 years since then, and now Ethan and I were in a forest with no sign of an exit. But we were okay, because we were together.

Little did we know that our lives were about to change.


	2. Destiny (Edited)

**Third Person P.O.V.**

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

" _Absolutely_ sure?"

Ethan sighed and patted Fate's head as he smiled.

"I know you have Autophobia, but hang in for about 5 minutes okay? I'll be right back, I just dropped something important. I'm just gonna go find it." Ethan told her as he stood up. "Stay."

Ethan then turned around and ran off, leaving Fate alone under an old tree with all of their belongings. She couldn't keep looking around at everything and hoping for Ethan to come back, and even tried humming a song to keep herself busy although it didn't work as much as she had hoped it would. She fiddled with the end of her dark blue dress and tried to just focus on the dark blue ribbon tied close to the end of her tail… However, moments later, sighed at her fur color: the simple gray it always had been.

When she first met Ethan, he commented on how her fur brought out her sapphire blue eyes, but she had always hated her eye color because none of the Exceeds she had ever seen had the same shade of blue. Fate sighed once again and decided to just wait for her partner as she stared at the ground.

All of the sudden, she heard the bushes rustling and looked up only to be tackled onto her back, someone else pinning her to the ground. She looked up to see another Exceed, making eye contact with him as they both gained their senses, staring each other down. Fate examined him without second thinking, noticing how his fur was a nicely blended color of green and how his eyes were a beautiful hazel with a noticeable tint of green in them.

For some reason, the moment she had gotten she was almost **confident** that she had completely relaxed although she didn't know him. He didn't even remind her of anyone, he was just… _**himself**_. He stared down at her and she stared up at him, neither of them making any movements… until the green Exceed got off of her quicker than a kid running for ice cream and started to apologize to her profusely.

" **I'm so sorry**! I'm really, **really** sorry! I-I didn't mean to tackle you or pin you to the ground like that, and nonetheless for so long! I'm sorry!" He apologized repeatedly, which made Fate a little anxious as she listened to him. His voice was full of worry and he sounded so sincere although he was speaking so fast…

"It's okay!" Fate finally managed to tell him as she sat up, making him immediately stop talking and freaking out. Instead, he looked at her in pure disbelief although he looked slightly relieved, even if he wasn't accepting it yet.

"It's okay...?" He asked softly, sounding slightly cautious as if she would lash out at him, in which Fate nodded, watching as he let out a small sigh in relief as his disbelief mostly faded.

"What happened?" Fate asked softly after a moment passed, not second thinking, making the green Exceed freak out again.

"I-I was flying and looking around and I got separated from my group! I wasn't paying attention a-and I crashed into a tree! Then I fell, and I fell into you! What am I going to do?!" The green Exceed panicked.

He wouldn't stop panicking and Fate couldn't help but think that his story made sense, since his blue and green flannel shirt and black shorts were covered in dirt. However, at that moment, Ethan came out of the bushes.

"I fou—what is going on?" Ethan asked, looking back and forth between Fate and the green Exceed for a couple of moments before staring at Fate for an answer.

"I'll explain…" Fate sighed, pulling Ethan aside.

* * *

After Fate explained the situation to Ethan, they offered to help the Exceed find his friends, which he was grateful for. Fate and Ethan introduced themselves to the green Exceed and he told them his name, which was Destiny.

As they were walking around and searching, Ethan gave Fate a look that said "So..." which made her give him a "Really?" look. Fate noticed that Destiny seemed really alert to his surroundings and seemed pretty jumpy… of course, the pair found out why the hard way.

All in a second, Ethan was shot up into the air and Destiny pushed Fate aside so they wouldn't get caught as well. Nonetheless, they all freaked out over Ethan being held in the air by strong roots that had just come out of the ground without warning.

"What is that!?" Fate asked, her tone full of panic.

"They're those things that attacked my group and I before… They're root monsters called "Earth Stealers". They take Magic from Mages in order to live." Destiny explained, not seeming as scared as Fate thought he would be.

Just as Fate was about to call out to her partner, Destiny pulled her over and covered her as the Earth Stealer was attacked. They had been straight in the line of fire and it took Fate a moment to realize what happened; and that Destiny had one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders and the other was wrapped around her waist, allowing her the rest her head against his shoulder. She also realized that Destiny was yelling at someone to be more careful and heard someone yelling back at him.

Fate looked up slightly to see a group of people, all of them ready to fight, and heard Ethan yelling at her, making her look up to see him falling. She quickly used her Aera Magic and spread her wings, flying up to Ethan and grabbing him just in time, making him sigh in relief.

"That took you long enough…" Ethan complained although he was obviously relieved.

"Sorry." Fate apologized softly, trying to focus on flying.

She glanced down at Destiny, who glanced up at her as well and suddenly looked scared. He started yelling something at her and she noticed the group yelling as well. This one blonde girl was loud enough and Fate turned around quickly, attempting to dodge the root coming her and Ethan's way, but she was too slow and they were smashed into a tree.

The impact knocked the air out of Fate and nearly knocked the air out of Ethan. When they started to fall, Ethan grabbed Fate and held her close to protect her from the fall, but he fell back-first into the ground and that knocked the rest of the air out of him. From the moment he made impact with the ground, it was obvious he wouldn't be moving for awhile.

However, it was in that moment that they realized that they had come across a group of powerful Mages.


	3. Powerful Mages (Edited)

Everything started to happen really fast.

The fairly-sized group started to fight the Earth Stealer with all their Magic and might, some supporting the others, and a battle ensued as Ethan tried to move, but couldn't get even an inch from where he was.

"Don't move, Ethan! You'll hurt yourself more!" Fate tried to advise calmly, her voice laced with the obvious worry she had for her partner.

"And if you don't, you're gonna get hit!" Ethan told her, still trying to at least sit up as Fate looked behind her to see a root pushing out of the ground before shooting downwards, aiming right towards them.

Without second thought, Fate had closed her eyes and just prepared herself to be hit because there was no way she was going to leave her partner alone and injured on a battle field. She waited as she heard the wind falling victim to the speed of the root, but then it became silent.

Nothing happened for a couple of moments and due to her curiosity and confusion, she opened her eyes to see the same blonde girl who was loud enough for her to hear merely minutes before. Her blonde hair that draped over her left shoulder was so bright that would it be impossible for you to miss in a crowd.

She was wearing a plain white tank top and a pair of dark blue jean shorts that stopped just above her knees, and had a black sweater wrapped around her waist. Her shoes were light blue sandals with orange flowers on one side of each of them and Fate was amazed to find that the teenage girl had just defeated a root belonging to the Earth Stealer all by herself.

After a moment or so, she got onto her knees beside Ethan and held out her hands as they started to emit a gentle green glow that felt calming to the pair of partners.

"My name is Namine. Don't worry, you'll be fine." The girl promised after introducing her, a soft smile on her face despite the current situation. It made Fate feel safer than before and she smiled back, even just a little bit.

"Namine, look behind you! 12 O'clock or uh… 6 O'clock! **_It's something O'clock_**!" Another blonde girl who looked a couple of years older called to her, in which Namine quickly got up and attacked with any hesitation.

" ** _Hikari ryū no hōkō_**!"

If anyone was shocked within that moment, it was definitely Fate and Ethan. After 7 years of travelling with no clues towards finding Terra, Takanashi or Sina and with no knowledge of other Dragons, Exceeds or Dragon Slayers… One day had given the both of them a huge chance for answers.

"Thank you, Lucy!" Namine thanked the older blonde girl before turning back to Ethan and Fate. "You should be able to move a little, but moving him somewhere might be for the best." She advised, turning towards Fate with more of a serious look than before.

"… I've already exhausted my Magic, though… I'm not powerful…" Fate mumbled, looking at the ground in slight shame for her level of Magic.

"Neither am I." Namine admitted, making Fate look back up at her in shock. "I'm just a little more confident than I used to be, so… just take a little bit of Magic from tomorrow and keep pushing forward. It's the little things that count."

Before Fate could say anything, Namine ran back into battle to help her group and Ethan started to push himself up slowly.

"She can use healing Magic… Interesting…" Ethan mumbled, obviously trying to register that he wasn't the only Dragon Slayer like him and his partner had thought. Fate couldn't say anything; she didn't know what to say.

" ** _Hey_**!"

They both looked up to see a girl with long brown hair and piercing icy blue eyes, who was motioning for them to move, making them look up in front of them only to see the ground erupt as a monster that looked like a tree came out of the ground.

"Guys, I think it's pissed off!" A blue Exceed yelled from across what was now a clearing. Fate hadn't seen another Exceed in so long, but she didn't know if she was glad to see a pair of them after so long or not. First it was Destiny and now it was the blue one… were there more?

" ** _Obviously_**!" Lucy yelled back, seeming a little pissed off herself.

However, the Earth Stealer landed its eyes on who happened to be the closest, which was Ethan and Fate. It immediately went to grab them and although Ethan held up his hands defensively, Fate had taken a moment to remember what Namine had said.

 ** _A little bit of Magic from tomorrow_** **…**

She quickly summoned her wings, not even sure of what she was trying to do, and grabbed Ethan, dodging the root as fast as she possibly could. It shook Ethan a little bit before he opened his eyes, noticing that there was an opening he could take… so, he decided to take it.

"Drop me!" He yelled up to Fate, who looked down at him like he was insane. Maybe he was, honestly. When he realized that she wasn't going to do it, nonetheless quick enough, he **_made_** her let go and despite her yelling at him and trying to grab him again, he dropped down as close as he could to the Earth Stealer before using his magic.

" ** _Chikyū ryū no hōkō_**!"

He didn't know how, but that girl with the piercing icy blue eyes had known what he was doing and had gotten her group to attack all at once with him… and the Earth Stealer shredded into pieces.

The moment Ethan landed on the ground, some pain shooting through his body; Fate instantly flew over to him and canceled her Aera as he grabbed her, falling to the ground from her force. Despite what had happened, they both relaxed in each other's presence, staying quiet for a moment.

"I'm exhausted." Ethan suddenly complained out of nowhere, gaining a small punch in the chest from his partner

"You're not the only one." Fate mumbled, wiping a couple of tears from her eyes. "Dang it, I was worried about you. Please… Don't ever do that again…"

"Sorry… I promise that I won't ever do that again, okay?" Ethan let out a sigh as Fate nodded, looking over at the remains of the Earth Stealer. "I wonder why it was mad in the first place…"

"Maybe you stepped on it, you klutz." Fate teased with a small smile, making Ethan chuckle.

"Or maybe you did." Ethan teased, making Fate giggle a bit.

Suddenly, Ethan's hat was shoved onto his head, slightly scaring Fate and nearly knocking Ethan forwards. He fixed his hat before they both looked up to see that it was the girl with the icy blue eyes, and Namine came up from behind her.

"… You're a Dragon Slayer, just like the both of us, right?" The icy blue-eyed girl asked, crossing her arms over her chest. It was the meeting of 3 Dragon Slayers, something that Ethan and Fate never expected to have happen.

"… Yah, I am." Ethan replied softly, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the presence of other Dragon Slayers. Did they know where Terra is? "Say, would you happen to know—"

"No. None of us know where the dragons went after they went missing on July 7th in the year x777." She replied, cutting him off and answering a question she seemed to ask and have been asked many times before.

Nonetheless, Ethan sighed and nodded, expecting nothing more than just that… but the girl held out a hand to help him up as Destiny appeared between the pair of girls, smiling a little bit when he saw that the icy blue-eyed girl was smiling down at the pair of partners.

"My name's Akina, Namine's my younger sister and Destiny's my partner. My sister and I are Light Dragon Slayers and the 3 of us, along with our little group, are from a Magic Guild called Fairy Tail." She explained, introducing herself as Ethan carefully grabbed her hand, holding onto Fate as he stood up with Akina's help.

"O-Oh, um… My name's Ethan and Fate's my partner. I'm an **_Earth_** Dragon Slayer, not a Light one or anything else… W-We've just been travelling, we don't belong to a Guild or anything…" He explained, introducing the both of them and trying to be polite although he came off as more awkward than anything else.

"… Well, why don't you come back to our Guild for now? You can rest for awhile and if you feel like it, you can always join."

"Anyone can join?" Ethan suddenly asked, wondering if he needed Akina to talk to the Master of the Guild or not. She just nodded in reply, though… not what he was expecting.

"Anyone at all?" Fate asked softly, not wanting to be separated from her partner after a full 7 years of travelling with him. Namine nodded that time, causing Ethan and Fate to exchange looks before Fate smiled at the goofy look on Ethan's face. "Why do I have a feeling about that look?"


	4. Fairy Tail

Ethan and Fate stared in awe at the Guild Hall.

They had arrived moments ago with Namine and the group she was with and she had showed them around. She got Mirajane Strauss to stamp them with the Fairy Tail Mark in order for them to be actual members of the Guild, to which Ethan was ecstatic about. He called x784 the best year and that made Fate smile. Ethan hadn't been this happy in awhile, and it made her happy as well.

They were on the 2nd floor of the Guild, looking at everyone down below. Fate glanced over at Ethan and smiled, he was like a child who just got a scooter for their birthday. Fate looked back down at all of their now fellow Guild members and looked around for Namine or Destiny. They hadn't dared to speak to anyone else yet, not even the group Namine and Destiny were with.

"Do you think maybe we should socialize or something? They all look really nice and friendly." Ethan said. Fate shrugged and Ethan sighed.

"They do look nice, but you're the one who always says not to judge a book by its cover." Fate pointed out.

"Yah, I guess you're right. I just don't want to be an outcast." Ethan said, then took off his hat and fiddled with it over the railing, obviously bored. "I just need some sort of wake up call."

All of the sudden, his hands slipped and neither him or Fate were fast enough to catch it before it fell to the 1st floor, hitting a boy's head and falling onto the table in front of him. He stared at the hat, looking around for the owner. He noticed Ethan and Fate and motioned for them to come down to the 1st floor.  
Ethan and Fate exchanged looks, and then Ethan grabbed Fate, holding her in his arms, before heading down to the 1st floor. Ethan slowly approached the boy, who was slightly taller than him and he had spiky pink hair. That's all that Ethan could notice over the anxiety that the boy might've been mad; that's why the smile on the boy's face surprised him.

When he stopped in front of the boy, the 3 he was sitting with watched intently. Ethan attempted to say something, but couldn't find his voice. The boy in front of him then placed Ethan's hat on his head and patted his shoulder.

"You dropped your hat, kid." He said.

"Th-Thanks... but I'm not a kid..." Ethan muttered, fixing his hat with one hand.

"You are in his eyes." Fate stated.

Ethan huffed, mostly about what Fate said instead of the boy in front of him. That's when Ethan recognized a blonde girl at the table who he had seen during the fight, Lucy. She smiled at him.

"If you're wondering, I was the only one from this team who was there." Lucy said.

"Was where!? I still don't understand!" The pink haired boy complained.

"I told you, Natsu. I went on a job with Namine. Along the way, we picked up 2 new members. Uh..." Lucy seemed to search her mind for their names, "I can't remember, sorry."

"It's okay." Ethan responded with a small smile.

"It's not okay! What are your names and what kind of Magic do you use!?" Natsu asked. Obviously, he was one of those people who needed to know everything.

"E-Ethan Hibiki and this is my partner Fate. I use Earth Dragon Slaying Magic." Ethan replied, backing away from him a bit. Natsu blinked, and then he grabbed Ethan's shoulders.

" ** _DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE DRAGONS WENT_**!?" Natsu asked loudly, basically screaming.

Everyone in the Guild Hall shut up and paid attention, mostly 4 certain people; a brunette girl who was glaring and a blonde girl who seemed interested, known as Akina and Namine Blake, and a black haired man who looked strong and a small, petite blue haired girl, known as Gajeel Redfox and Wendy Marvell. Their Exceeds seemed interested in the subject as well.

"N-No... Neither of us know where the dragons went." Ethan replied.

"Anything about Igneel, Grandeeney, Metalicana or Hikari!? Any of them!?" Natsu asked. Ethan got mad because he didn't know.

"What about you, have you heard anything about a Dragon named Terra!? Because I haven't heard **_anything_**!" Ethan yelled. Fate knew Ethan would over-pressure himself in this situation, so she spoke up.

"Neither of us have seen a Dragon since July 7th, x777. That's when Terra disappeared." Fate explained. Everyone stared at her, making her uncomfortable. "W-Was I not loud enough?"

"We heard you, loud and clear, from where we are." Akina replied as her and Namine walked over, Destiny being held in Namine's arms.

"None of the Exceeds we've met have met a Dragon." Lucy told them. Ethan and Fate looked at each other, and then back at the group.

"But, I have." Fate said. Ethan nodded.

"Terra took care of all 4 of us." Ethan said.

"4?" Natsu asked, now even more confused.

Ethan realized what he said and frowned, looking at the ground. Fate patted his hand, looking down as well.

"Was it something I said..?"

Ethan shook his head.

"It's my fault." Ethan replied before he quickly ran out of the Guild, ignoring the yells behind him.

"What was that, Ethan?" Fate asked quietly. Ethan just shook his head and kept running.


	5. A Talk with Lucy, Roommates & A Job?

Ethan sat outside a two-story apartment house with red walls and a dark-brown sloping roof with two chimneys and two dormer windows, overlooking one of Magnolia's canals and a stone bridge that happened to be the brightest things in the dark of the night besides the streetlights.

Fate was sitting in his lap and waiting for him to say something.

"I don't know." Ethan finally said, sighing. Fate sighed.

"So where are we staying tonight?" Fate asked. Ethan shrugged.

All of the sudden, a familiar voice talked to them from above.

"Don't have anywhere to spend the night?"

They both looked up to see Lucy and Ethan shook his head. Lucy smiled at them, opening the door to the two-story apartment house.

"You can spend the night. I'm sure my roommates won't mind... much." Lucy said, laughing nervously at the "much" in her sentence.

Ethan and Fate exchanged looks and didn't seem to come to agree with each other and Ethan was about to refuse, but Fate didn't let him.

"Yes!" Fate quickly yelled before Ethan could even barely make a sound. "Please."

Ethan frowned and gave her a scolding look, but Fate crossed her arms and smiled at him. Lucy smiled.

* * *

Ethan and Fate sat on Lucy's couch, Fate looking around while Ethan fiddled with his hat, which was in his hands. Ethan sighed and ran a hand through his messy black hair, then fixing his brown eyes on his partner.

"Why did you do that?" Ethan asked. Fate looked up at him.

"Unless I missed a sign, you ran out of the Guild today. Plus, since we just joined I figured..." Fate looked at her paws that were in her lap. "Lucy knows more, and can tell us a lot."

As if on cue, Lucy entered the room and sat on the other couch that was across from the couch that the duo was sitting on.

"My roommates won't be back until later, so we have time to talk or something." Lucy said. Ethan was about to stop Fate from talking, but she spoke quickly and clearly.

" ** _We'd_** like to ask a question." Fate said and Ethan sighed, crossing his arms and leaning back against the back of the couch in annoyance.

"Sure. What is it?" Lucy asked. Fate nudged Ethan and he sighed again.

"Can you tell us everything you know about Fairy Tail?" Ethan asked.

"We want to know about why everyone says it's amazing, why they freaked out about the Dragon Slayer thing and the Dragons, and etc." Fate explained. Lucy smiled.

"Well, I only joined earlier this year, but I've learned a lot and been there through lots, so listen closely cause it's a long explanation.  
The Dragons all disappeared on July 7th, x777, leaving behind their children: The Dragon Slayers. Currently, Fairy Tail has 6 Dragon Slayers:  
Natsu Dragneel, a Fire Dragon Slayer who was raised by Igneel,  
Gajeel Redfox, an Iron Dragon Slayer who was raised by Metalicana,  
Wendy Marvell, a Sky Dragon Slayer who was raised by Grandeeney,  
Akina and Namine Blake, Light Dragon Slayers who were raised by Hikari,  
And you.  
Nothing has been heard of the Dragons, nor seen. That's why Natsu freaked out.  
Natsu, Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster and I formed a Team, and from there, a lot happened;  
We defeated the Dark Guild, Eisenwald, and Lullaby, an Etherious, one of Zeref's evil creations from the Books of Zeref and a Living Magic spell.  
We saved Galuna Island, which the request that was sent asked for help with something un-specific. We son learned that something called "the Moon Drip ritual" had a side effect of leaving residue Magic over the island that crystallized and covered it like a dome which is why it seemed like the moon had turned purple. The Moon Drip ritual was for the resurrection of the Demon Deliora by an old friend of Gray's: Lyon Vastia. But like I said, we saved the island and it was an S-Class mission, so I shouldn't say anymore.  
After completing the Galuna Island mission, my Team and I returned home to see our Guild building damaged by enormous iron beams. We quickly found out it was a rival guild called Phantom Lord who committed the act and soon enough, both Guilds were against one another in an all-out war. However, Fairy Tail won the war and thus, we gained 2 new members, Juvia Lockser and Gajeel. The Fairy Tail Guild building was destroyed completely though, so we built a new one.  
My Team and I decided a vacation would be best, just to calm our minds. But our vacation was cut short when were attacked and forced to, eventually, engage in combat with Jellal Fernandes, his henchman and Trinity Raven in the Tower of Heaven. Etherion was fired by the Magic Council, whose building was destroyed and they disbanded for awhile until they reformed under the decree of Fiore's King.  
Fairy Tail was taking part in the annual Magnolia Harvest Festival, but Laxus Dreyar, the Master's grandson, and his personal body guards, the Thunder God Tribe, had other plans besides the festivities. The Battle of Fairy Tail, a battle between friends to determine the strongest, and the battle to prevent Laxus from taking over the guild begun. Natsu and Gajeel took down Laxus while the rest of us fought either one of the Thunder God Tribe or each other and after everything was over, Laxus was excommunicated from Fairy Tail for endangering people's lives.  
After the Battle of Fairy Tail, Akina and Destiny joined the Guild. For a few months, everything was normal. That was until a group called the "Seekers of Nothing" sent their 8th member, Arwin, to interrogate Akina into going after Namine, who they were holding captive and using. Of course, she went right away and some of us followed. We fought and defeated 5 of their members: Saith, Bryne, Preece, Selwyn and Eleri. We fought against Arwin, but he escaped last moment. However, we got Namine with minor injuries for most of us. One of us was heavily injured, but he survived with a scar and is still doing jobs, so nothing bad came out of that fight from what we know of so far.  
Fairy Tail opted to form an alliance with the other surrounding Guilds, Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, and Cait Shelter, in order to destroy one-third of the of the Balam Alliance: the Dark Guild Oracion Seis. However, the task that we Mages set before ourselves proved not to be an easy one, as we all came face-to-face with what were maybe our strongest foes. The Oracion Seis were defeated and sent to jail, but Jellal was revived, redeemed, but imprisoned as well. Wendy and Carla were originally from Cait Shelter, but that Guild was an illusion and they joined Fairy Tail afterwards.  
With Wendy admitted into Fairy Tail and Gildarts Clive's homecoming, the entire town of Magnolia was thrown into disarray, as we were all sucked into the parallel universe, Edolas, through a portal. However, everything was not what it seemed to be, as we found out that our friends were not the ones we lost. To make matters worse, in the midst of it all, we were thrown into a terrifying plot involving the Exceeds, the Dragon Slayers, and Mystogan's father. Turns out, the Exceeds sent 100 Exceed eggs to Earthland, here, in order to protect them from an upcoming disaster in which the queen saw in a vision, since she could see the Future. Fairy Tail and Magnolia, obviously, were sent back here to Earthland along with the Exceeds and Lisanna Strauss, who we thought was dead, and that's when Lily joined the Guild. In the end, the Exceeds are staying here with us, Carla apparently can see the Future as well and I think Mystogan, who was Jellal's Edolas counterpart, became King in Edolas."

Lucy finished explaining and took a deep breath, then exhaled it.

"Anymore questions?" She asked, receiving 2 head shakes. She could tell Ethan and Fate were eager to talk about everything. "Comments...?"

"Fairy Tail was responsible for defeating Lullaby and taking down Eisenwald Guild!" Ethan started it off.

"And for the Galuna Island incident!" Fate followed. "And the Phantom Lord disbandment!"

"And they destroyed the Tower of Heaven!"

"And they're reason why Magnolia was what everyone was talking about in that other town!"

"And they're responsible for sending the Oracion Seis to prison!"

"And they were responsible for that weird feeling! You said the Earth was off and was missing a part, which must've been Magnolia!"

The duo were smiling at each other like children, recalling all of the events Lucy had caught them up on. Lucy laughed at them and nodded.

"It's true. It's been about a week, not even, since we went to Edolas." Lucy said. It was amusing to her how childish Ethan and Fate were being.

"How was it!? Was it pretty!?" Fate asked. Lucy was about to reply when she suddenly got confused.

"Hold on a second. The 100 Exceed eggs were sent in x778, after the dragons disappeared. But, you met Ethan's dragon, didn't you? So you must've come from Edolas." Lucy brainstormed aloud. Ethan and Fate flinched, which didn't go unnoticed by Lucy. "Care to explain?"

"Uh..." Ethan looked at Fate, who was looking down. "It's a... touchy subject. I'm not sure how to explain it without saying something I shouldn't. Sorry."

"Oh, that's alright. Sorry I brought it up." Lucy apologized.

"Long story short- Fate's never been to Edolas and etc." Ethan said.

"Well, it was a really nice place when we weren't getting chased by Royal Guards."

"Isn't that nice to hear?" Ethan asked his partner, who nodded.

"W-Well, it's late! I'll go get a pillow and some blankets for the both of you! Sorry about you having to sleep on the couch!" Lucy apologized again.

"It's okay." Ethan replied. Lucy got up and ran off.

"I'm sorry. I'm still not comfortable with the subject, despite it being about 9 years ago." Fate sighed

"It's okay; I understand it was harsh on you. But, we'll both be fine, right?" Ethan asked. Fate nodded.

"I think so." Fate replied.

* * *

Ethan woke up early the next morning, he could tell because it was just starting to get bright, but even though he woke up early, Fate must've gotten up earlier because she wasn't curled up on his chest like she usually was in the morning. It was weird to him because he had always been up before her for the past 8 years they had been partners, so this was a first.

He sat up slowly, feeling an ache in his back from sleeping on the couch, and eventually got to his feet. He was confused on where he was for a minute before remembering that Lucy had given him and Fate a place to sleep for the night. He heard talking in the kitchen and decided to head over, going at a normal pace.  
When he reached the kitchen, he noticed Fate was sitting and talking with someone.

"Have you been on the road long?" A girl's voice asked.

"Well, I was on my own for a couple of months before I met Ethan and his family. It was weird staying with a dragon, but Terra and I didn't have anything against each other. So when Terra disappeared, it ended up as just Ethan and I, and we've been travelling for the last 7 years." Fate replied.

"Really!? Did you at least stay in towns and cities along the way?" Another girl's voice asked. Ethan recognized the voice as Namine's.

"Yah, lots of them! But we often camped out in the forest."

"Sounds like you had it hard."

"But, we were together and that's all that mattered to us."

"So, where were you before you met Ethan and his dragon?" The first girl's voice asked.

"Places, with other people... but, I can't detail what happened... I'm having a hard time waking up each morning to remember that if it hadn't been for Ethan, I'm sure I would've ran off on my own and gotten myself killed." Fate explained. "That's why; the least I can do is help him search for Terra."

"Well, you're apart of Fairy Tail now, both of you. Fairy Tail happens to be some sort of gathering place for Dragon Slayers, we're all searching for our dragons. So I'm sure, we can find them sometime." Namine said hopefully.

"You're goddamn cheery..." The other girl sighed

"Akina-"

"I spent 7 years searching for both you and Hikari, and the only thing I found was Destiny and Fairy Tail. Then I found you, but still no Hikari. But for some reason, we get this other Dragon Slayer and his Exceed, who happens to have a past, but won't share it, and is the only Exceed to actually meet one of the dragons. Don't you think it's a bit weird?" Akina asked.

"Right, there are those people who held me for 7 years and then these 2. Oh, and look, they must be the villains here." Namine replied. Akina sighed.

"Whatever! I just want Hikari back."

"We all want our dragons back, Akina."

"Good morning!"

Ethan jumped at Lucy's voice.

"Good morning, Lucy! Good morning to you, too, Ethan!" Namine greeted

"G-Good morning..." Ethan greeted

"It took you long enough! When are we heading to the Guild?" Akina asked.

"Whenever, I guess. Didn't I tell you to go at your own pace?" Lucy asked.

"Yah, but I'm 16 and Namine's 15. You're 17." Akina replied.

"What do we need, a schedule or something? Cause by age this morning, Ethan would be in charge. He's older by a bit." Lucy said.

"I-It's your place, Lucy." Ethan said.

"Well, there's an extra room beside Namine and Akina's."

"Lucy-" Akina started.

"I think it's a great idea." Namine cut off her older sister.

" ** _Namine Blake_**!"

"What? Then Destiny wouldn't be hanging around with just humans. There's no harm."

"I don't think we have a say in this..." Fate mumbled. Ethan shook his head.

* * *

"A job...?" Ethan and Fate asked in unison.

"Of course, you still haven't gone on your first job yet!" Lucy replied.

"Akina's picking one now." Namine stated.

"Both of you, Akina, Destiny, Namine, Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza, Wendy, Carla and I are all going, and you can't refuse!" Lucy declared.

"Why so many...?" Fate asked.

"Well, Natsu, Happy, Gray, Erza and I are all a team. Akina, Destiny and Namine volunteered -which is weird for Akina, so we couldn't not accept- and Wendy and Carla decided to come along." Lucy explained.

"Remind me again why Akina is choosing the job." Gray said.

"He's right! If she picks something dangerous-" Carla was cut off.

"Then it'll be more fun!" Natsu cut her off.

"I got it!" Akina cheered, slamming the request down on the table. Lucy took one look at it and shrieked.

"What the hell is this!? NO! TAKE IT BACK!" Lucy yelled.

"YOU SAID "MY PICK"!" Akina yelled back.

"We have a LOT of girls on this team! And Natsu's a FIRE Mage! GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD!" Lucy yelled. Everyone read through the job.

"Akina, why do you choose the dangerous ones?" Namine asked.

"Akina-San, i-it sounds scary!" Wendy cried.

"It sounds interesting..." Gray mumbled. Everyone exchanged opinions.

"WAIT!" Lucy stopped them all. "This is for Ethan and Fate. It's for their first job, they should decide." Ethan and Fate exchanged looks.

"It sounds dangerous, but you know how I am. It's up to you." Ethan declared, handing the paper to his partner. Fate looked at the job.

 ** _Disappearances in the night_**

 ** _Strange disappearances are happening in Oshibana Town. About three weeks ago, a dark mage went to the mayor's office and demanded that 10,000,000 Jewels was paid to him or there would be terrible consequences. The mayor refused and then the disappearances started._**  
 ** _The same event repeats every night. Late at night, suddenly the whole city is engulfed in darkness. No lamps or candles work. Even fire extinguishes. So a frightening scream is heard. When the light comes back, a woman has vanished without leaving any trace._**  
 ** _23 mothers, daughters and sisters disappeared so far, leaving their families heartbroken._**  
 ** _Defeat this dark mage and rescue the kidnapped women._**  
 ** _Requester: Francílio Florestano (Oshibana's mayor)_**  
 ** _Reward: 450,000 Jewels + the powerful defensive silver key "The Scutum" (the shield)_**

"Let's do it." Fate decided.

* * *

"Y-You didn't tell me... we'd be taking... a train..." Natsu complained. Everyone ignored him.

"So 450,000 Jewels... how much is that, split between all of us?" Akina asked.

"Well, the celestial key goes to Lucy, first off. Then..." Erza trailed off.

"It's 37,500 each." Fate said out of nowhere.

"H-How...?" Lucy asked.

"450000 divided by 12 equals 37500." Fate replied.

"But I mean, how did you do that so fast!?" Lucy asked.

"I'll read any kind of book when I get bored...?" Fate replied, sort of questioning herself.

"Y-You will read... **_anything_**..." Ethan stated.

"Do you have motion sickness, too?" Namine asked.

"Not as bad as flame-brain from what I see." Gray said.

"Sh-Shut up, ice princess..." Natsu muttered.

"I could cast a spell if you want." Wendy offered.

"I'll deal with it..." Ethan muttered. Wendy didn't hear his reply, despite her dragon-hearing.

"Oh, he said that he'll deal with it. With that, he means to save your magic power." Fate repeated.

"Oh, I see..." Wendy sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"Why did you even choose this job?" Carla asked, obviously not happy about it.

"I wanted to see how well lame-o could do." Akina replied.

With that, everyone got all hyped again.

"I-Is this normal...?" Fate asked.

"Yep."

Fate jumped, and then looked to her left to see Destiny. He smiled at her and it took her a moment, but she smiled back.

* * *

"This is Oshibana? It's cute." Ethan said. After getting off of the train, he and Natsu had become perfectly fine.

"Wait until night, when we get to kick some Dark-Mage ass." Akina said.

"I'm scared, but I'm kind of excited." Wendy admitted. Carla frowned, but then noticed that Fate looked down.

"Are you okay?" Carla asked. Fate jumped a little, and then smiled a little at her.

"I-I think..." Fate replied.

"We're with some of Fairy Tail's strongest Mages, you shouldn't worry." Carla assured her. Fate nodded.

"Thank you."


	6. First Job- You're really pretty

"So, we just stay stationed here?" Namine asked.

"This is suuuuuuuuper boring." Natsu complained.

"Deal with it." Lucy said.

"I-I wonder what kind of magic the Dark Mage uses..." Wendy wondered aloud.

"I wonder what he wanted 10,000,000 Jewel for... and why is he only kidnapping women?" Destiny asked.

" ** _The same event repeats every night. Late at night, suddenly the whole city is engulfed in darkness. No lamps or candles work. Even fire extinguishes. So a frightening scream is heard. When the light comes back, a woman has vanished without leaving any trace_**." Ethan repeated the paragraph.

"23 women so far." Gray recalled.

"Maybe invisibility magic? Like, the women seemed to have disappeared but, they're still here?" Happy asked.

"No. When you get turned invisible, you can still communicate with others. They would've gone to their families. That Dark Mage has to be keeping them somewhere... but, without any trace and only a single scream?" Carla asked.

"I don't understand." Ethan said. He noticed that Fate hadn't said anything. "Fate, are you okay?"

A moment of silence passed.

"I just realized something." Fate replied.

"What?" Ethan asked.

"That one time when you were 14, we came across that guy. The one with the black hoodie, remember what he did?"

"Yah, he—FATE, YOU'RE A GENIUS!" Ethan stood up from his spot on the ground.

"What guy?" Lucy asked.

"He was this creep in a black hoodie. I couldn't see his face, but his magic was creepy. He makes it dark, and then he can send who he wants wherever. That's how Fate and I ended up in Hargeon." Ethan explained.

"You think it's him?" Akina asked.

"If it is, I doubt he stands a chance!" Ethan replied. Destiny noticed that Fate looked like she was deep in thought.

"Are you okay?" Destiny asked.

"I'm getting asked that a lot. Yah, I'm fine. But... Ethan." Fate addressed her partner.

"Yah...?" Ethan asked.

"If it is him, I wouldn't take him lightly." Fate seemed to be hinting something to Ethan. Ethan's smile faded, and then he nodded, putting on another smile.

"Is there something I missed?" Destiny asked quietly.

Fate didn't answer; she only put her hands in her lap and fiddled with her dress. Destiny decided to leave it be.

* * *

 ** _"Roar of the Fire Dragon!"  
"Roar of the Sky Dragon!"  
"Roar of the Light Dragon!"  
"Roar of the Earth Dragon!"_**

Natsu, Wendy, Akina, Namine and Ethan combined their Roar's, but to no avail as they didn't hit the Dark Mage in front of them. From behind, Erza, Lucy and Gray attacked.

 ** _"Requip: Flame Empress Armor! Fire!"  
"Open, Gate of the Archer: Sagittarius!"  
"Ice-Make: Lance!"_**

But still to no avail.

"No chance, huh!? WE CAN'T LAND A DAMN HIT!" Akina yelled.

"WELL I'M SORRY!" Ethan yelled back.

"Wh-What do we do!?" Wendy asked.

"If 5 Dragon Slayers can't beat him, then..." Lucy trailed off.

"This is boring." The guy said. He raised his hand and blasted all of them away.

"Natsu! Everyone!" Happy yelled.

The guy heard Happy and turned around, looking their way. He took a step in their direction before a hand grabbed his ankle.

"Don't touch them..." Ethan growled, his grip on strong.

"You don't know when to give up. Norrin should've finished you off in Hargeon." He said.

'Th-There's more than one of them...?' Fate thought.

"Norrin! Akina, it's- They're the Seekers of Nothing!" Namine said.

"Sh-Shit..." Akina cursed.

The man glanced over at the 4 Exceeds and made a sort of "eye contact" with Fate, who flinched.

"I see... Norrin had a reason... then..."

Within a raise of his hand, every one of them passed out, despite their attempt to stay awake.

* * *

 _"Come on, you're so slow!"  
"Hurry!"  
"Last one there is a rotten egg!"  
"AH! HURRY, HURRY!"  
"Quickly, let's push him down!"  
"Don't fall behind!"  
"I won't! Count on it!"_

* * *

"Fate!"

Fate's eyes snapped open, but she closed them due to the bright sunlight.

"Hey, are you okay!?"

Fate sat up and rubbed her eyes, then looked to her left to see Destiny, the worried look on his face turning into relief. Fate looked around to find everyone sitting in train seats and sleeping.

"Are you okay?" He asked again. Fate nodded.

"What happened?" Fate asked.

"Well, that creep got away, but the women that disappeared are okay. They're back with their families. But, since we kinda only did half of the job, we only got half of the reward."

"18750 each, huh...?"

"You just woke up and you still have amazing math skills, huh?"

Fate smiled and giggled a bit.

"Yah, I guess..." Fate replied.

When she realized Destiny was quiet, she looked over at him again and saw that Destiny's cheeks were dusted pink.

"Are you okay?" She asked. Destiny went pinker.

"Y-Yah..." Destiny replied. Everything was silent for a moment, and then he spoke again. "You should laugh more often."

"Huh?" It was Fate's turn to go pink.

"You should laugh more often, and smile more often. Both are really pretty."

"S-Sure... I'll try..."


	7. Rainbow Sakura, an adorable genius

**I'm well aware that the Rainbow Sakura episode, episode 73, was BEFORE Edolas and that this story started AFTER Edolas. But I really wanted to write a Rainbow Sakura chapter so... PHYSICS, THEY HAVE NO POWER HERE!**

* * *

"Listen up, everyone! Those who call themselves wizards shall ne'er neglect sharpening their skills! They shall polish their techniques, and perform jobs on request! And they must earn their daily bread!  
For as there shall be sunny days, surely there will be rainy ones!  
For as there shall be days in which work is finished without trouble, surely there will be days which are naught but an uphill struggle!  
However! No matter what happens, tomorrow will always come! And we shall continue to walk the path, as wizards!  
That's what it means to be a Fairy Tail Wizard!" Makarov stated, raising his right hand with the Fairy Tail sign.

Everyone cheered and raised their right hands with the same sign.

"Everyone, you've worked really hard this past year! And so, in honor of your hard work, tomorrow will be the long-awaited... super-fun hanami party!"

* * *

"Everyone, please take it easy since tomorrow's the real deal." Mira said.

"I don't get it..." Ethan sighed, slumped over the table he was sitting at.

"What don't you get? Is your idiot brain screwing you over again?" Akina asked.

"What I don't get is why celebrate? It's just hanami time." Ethan replied.

"I don't even know what that means..." Fate mumbled.

"That's because you've been spending too much time with a boy, an idiot at that." Akina stated.

"It's better than hanging out with you." Ethan responded.

"Whatever."

"By the way, where are Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Erza?" Namine asked.

"Happy, Wendy and Carla are gone, too..." Fate realized.

"Oh, they went on a job." Destiny replied.

"Why didn't they take us with them, then? Like geez!" Akina complained.

"It's so boring without them..." Ethan mumbled. Namine giggled.

"I'm sure they'll be back soon."

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Namine asked.

Lucy had caught a cold from the job and said she was going to stay home.

"Yes, go have fun..." Lucy replied. They all sighed, but Akina put on a smile.

"We'll be back before you know it. If we're lucky, we'll be able to smuggle some souvenirs you." Akina said, winking at her. Lucy smiled and nodded. "Get well, blonde trooper. Now... EVERYONE OUT!"

Without a 2nd yell, Namine grabbed Destiny and pushed Ethan out.

"Get well soon, Lucy." Fate said.

"You got it." Lucy replied. Akina picked up Fate and they left.

* * *

Everyone in Fairy Tail was in Magnolia Park, partying together. Those who learned about Lucy having a cold felt bad for her and said that they hoped she got better.

"Fairy Tail is rowdy." Ethan stated.

"You just found this out?" Akina asked. Ethan shook his head.

"Nah... I've known for awhile, they just keep surprising me even more." Ethan replied.

"... We..."

"Huh?"

"We... We keep being surprising. You're apart of Fairy Tail now." Namine replied. "Right?"

Akina nodded, though she didn't look at him.

"I guess you're right." Ethan said, lying down on his back.

The sky was blue, with a few white clouds hovering around, but with the wind, it was fairly easy to see cherry blossoms flying through the air.

"By the way, where are Fate and Destiny?" Namine asked.

"Probably running around with the others... I wouldn't worry; Destiny knows how to be responsible." Akina replied. Ethan was silent for a moment.

"This is weird." He said out of nowhere.

"What do you mean?"

"Fate and I have always been together since we were both little. Fate has Autophobia, also called monophobia, and it's the specific phobia of isolation; a morbid fear of being egotistical, or a dread of being alone or isolated. She doesn't even need to be physically alone, but believe that she's being ignored, unloved, and threatened by intruders, and so on. She's only ever been comfortable with Terra and I, and some others. But, she's completely okay with everyone in Fairy Tail, and we only joined... maybe a week ago I guess? It's just... weird for me."

"Maybe it's because she's completely sure that if she's in trouble, you'll be there for her. That is, you will be, right?" Namine asked.

"Of course, and don't doubt it for a millisecond." Ethan replied.

"Maybe it's your personality." Akina joked.

"Whatever."

* * *

"What did you want to show me?" Fate asked.

"Hold on just a minute... this!" Destiny replied.

Fate's eyes widened as she looked at the flower field in front of her.

"Pretty!" She exclaimed. There were plenty of different colors and LOTS of flowers. "How many do you think there are?"

"I'm not sure... hundreds, maybe thousands or millions. But, I found this spot a little while ago." Destiny replied.

"You know what we should do?"

"What?"

"Since there's so many, it wouldn't cause any harm to pick some right? We should take some to give to Lucy, I feel bad about her not being able to come."

"That's a great idea! Lucy would like that! Fate, you're like a genius! A... An adorable genius." Destiny said. Fate blushed, her cheeks becoming pink.

"I-I'm sure I'm not an adorable genius, there are times when I get really clueless." Fate said.

"I've noticed. But, don't worry about it! Let's pick some flowers for Lucy!"

* * *

"Cold all better?" Natsu asked.

"Yep! Good as new." Lucy replied.

"Good for you, Lucy." Happy said.

"By the way, you 2..." Lucy started, glancing in Fate and Destiny's direction. Fate was writing in a book, not paying much attention.

"Yah?" Destiny asked.

"Thank you for the flowers." Lucy replied.

"Hey! Which one o' you dug up one of the city's precious sakura trees, huh!? The Mayor is seriously pissed!" Makarov yelled, obviously pissed off himself. Happy and Natsu started to shake.

"Someone dug up a sakura tree?" Namine asked. Akina and Ethan pointed to Natsu and Happy and Namine took a moment, and then smiled.

"Thanks." Lucy said.

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Natsu asked.

"D-Did we do something? I-I don't think so." Happy said. Lucy giggled.


	8. I'm sick now, Songs & 9 years ago ?

"Good morning, Namine-san!"

Namine turned around to see Wendy running up to her with Carla in her arms.

"Good morning, Wendy, Carla." Namine said, turning around to greet them with a smile.

"Are you heading to the Guild?" Wendy asked. Namine nodded.

"Yah, what about you?" Namine asked. Wendy nodded. "Let's walk together then."

Wendy nodded again.

Wendy and Namine walked towards the doors of the Guild, talking and smiling. That was before they spotted Ethan waiting outside the Guild and they stopped in front of him.

"Good morning, Ethan." Namine said. He looked at them and smiled, seeming to try and hide the worried look on his face. Wendy and Namine were oblivious to it, however Carla wasn't convinced.

"What's with the worried look?" Carla asked before she realized something. "Where's Fate?"

"At home..." Ethan instantly replied, seeming annoyed with question. Then he seemed to come up with an idea of some sort, looking at Wendy. "Say, Wendy?"

"Yes?" Wendy asked.

"You're a healer right? If someone got sick, would you be able to cure them? Or, help at least?" Ethan asked, avoiding anyone's gaze by looking at the ground.

"I can bring fevers down and heal a variety of different things when it comes to illnesses. But it depends."

"How about animals...?"

"I've taken care of Carla before, if that's what you mean."

Before Wendy could ask why he was asking any of these questions, Ethan grabbed one of her wrists gently and started to pull her behind him as he walked away from the Guild. Namine trailed behind them.

"W-Wait, where are you taking me!?"

* * *

Before she knew it, Wendy was standing in a bedroom, looking down at Fate, who's cheeks were tinted red and who was seeming to have a hard time even breathing. Carla was feeling her forehead and talking with Destiny, who seemed to have been watching over her while Ethan was gone.

"Where's Akina?" Wendy asked.

"She went on a job, so she's out of town." Namine replied. "Wendy, I'm still learning how to use my healing magic..."

"So I decided that you're basically a master at healing, so I'd bring you in to help." Ethan explained.

Wendy took a moment, and then nodded with a determined look in her eyes and a huge smile on her face.

"I'll do my best." Wendy said before walking over to the 3 Exceeds and sitting seiza style on the ground. Ethan and Namine watched as Wendy talked to the 3 of them. Namine patted Ethan's shoulder.

"Maybe Lucy passed it on. If not, it's the middle of fall, it's cold and it even snowed last night. It's probably just a normal cold. Let's leave Wendy to her job." Namine suggested. Ethan nodded and they left the room.

* * *

"Let's hope Lucy just passed her cold on to you." Wendy said.

"I doubt it. She has a high fever and her breathing is all shaky." Carla explained.

"I-" Destiny was cut off.

"You tried using your power, which you have no idea how to control, to heal her, even just a little bit. It failed, get over it." Carla snapped.

"Carla!" Wendy scolded.

"Sorry. Fate's just... she's fragile. Destiny, if you had ended up screwing up even worse, then you may have hurt her." Carla sighed.

"I know, it was stupid..." Destiny sighed.

"You tried and nothing bad happened, that's all that matters." Wendy said.

* * *

"You might want to back away... I could pass it on to you..." Fate mumbled.

"I'm sure you're worth getting sick over." Destiny stated.

"But..." Fate started.

"Just accept our presence. Geez, I'm surrounded by a bunch of stubborn people." Carla complained.

"Sorry... But, I'm pretty sure you're stubborn too. Aren't you, Carla?" Fate asked.

"I guess." Carla replied.

Fate smiled a little. Wendy had left to talk to Ethan and Namine, leaving Carla and Destiny behind with Fate.

"The spell Wendy casted is really helping, huh?" Destiny asked. Fate nodded.

"She's amazing." Fate replied. She suddenly remembered something and slowly sat up, only to be pushed down by Carla.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Carla asked.

"M-My book... I have to finish writing what I was writing..." Fate replied.

She reached for her book, pencil and eraser that were on the windowsill, but was cut off halfway by a coughing fit, in which she quickly pulled the blankets over her mouth. Destiny grabbed her things while she wasn't paying attention and opened her book to be greeted by a surprising sight, though Fate wasn't too happy about it.

"Geez..."

"Are these all yours?" Destiny asked. Carla got up and looked over his shoulder.

"M-Most of them... some of them, I've gotten help on..." Fate replied.

"Songs...?" Carla asked. Fate wished she could disappear under the blanket, but she couldn't, so she nodded.

"There's so many of them." Destiny said.

"Well... I started writing songs for fun when I was 3... It's just... kind of my hobby now, I guess..." Fate explained.

"That's so young! I knew you were a genius!" Destiny stated proudly.

"Actually, Exceeds portray time differently than Humans. Age, by 10 years I think. Like, Happy and I are 6 in Exceed years, but in Human years we're actually 16." Carla explained.

"That's so confusing..." Destiny sighed.

"Not really, once you get used to it." Fate said.

"How old are you?" Carla asked.

"Ugh... I think I'm 13, but I'm not quite sure..." Fate replied.

"Y-You're older than me... but you're shorter..." Carla stated.

"I've always been short. That was even the first thing Krystal told me." Fate explained.

Carla and Destiny exchanged looks.

"Who's Krystal?" Destiny asked.

Fate flinched; any trace of a smile on her face was gone as she frowned. She must've not realized what she had said until he said something himself. Fate turned over, resting on her right side with her back turned to them. From the shaking of her shoulders and the tiny, mostly quiet sniffles coming from her, she was most likely crying.

"Fate-" Carla started.

"Th-There's a pocket in the front..." Fate cut her off. Destiny went back to the front of the book and found the little pocket. From the pocket, he pulled out 2 photos.

In the first photo, there was a younger Fate, a smaller black Exceed with hazel eyes, 2 older black Exceeds, one with forest green eyes and one with hazel eyes, and an older white Exceed with forest green eyes. They were all playing in the snow.

In the second photo, 7 Exceeds were racing across a field. In first was a purple Exceed with bright blue eyes, in second was a mikado yellow Exceed with seal brown eyes, in third was a black Exceed with chocolate brown eyes and the top of his right ear was a goldish-yellow, in fourth was the same small black Exceed with hazel eyes, in fifth was the same black Exceed with forest green eyes, in sixth was a black Exceed with chocolate brown eyes that was identical to the Exceed in third place, except his right ear was just black, and in seventh, last place, was Fate, though she didn't seem to care.

"Fate, who..." Destiny trailed off.

"In the first picture, it's me, my younger sister Yuuki, my older brother Henkou, my Mom and my Dad. In the second picture, it's Krystal, Aaron, Peter, Yuuki, Henkou, Tristan and I..." Fate explained.

Destiny and Carla looked at each other, deciding whether or not to push any further.

"Can we ask...?" Destiny asked.

"I'm sorry... even though it's been 9 years, I don't want to talk about it yet..." Fate replied. Destiny and Carla nodded.

* * *

Carla slammed the book in front of Ethan, making him flinch. Destiny had been against the idea, but it was a rhetorical question on Carla's side.

"Tell us what the hell happened to her." Carla demanded.

"C-Carla..." Wendy started.

"I-I can't... Fate doesn't want to talk about any of it." Ethan said.

"Yah well says you! I bet she cries herself to sleep!" Carla snapped.

"Wh-What is this about?" Namine asked.

"It's about Fate, and she's a part of Fairy Tail! Meaning that we have the right to know what happened 9 years ago!" Carla replied.

"Give me a reason why I should talk about something she doesn't want to even remember." Ethan said.

Carla opened the book to a certain page, and then placed it in front of him, placing her hands on her hips.

"I-I know that Fate doesn't want to talk about it, and we may not have the complete right to know, but... we're worried." Destiny said. Ethan sighed and leaned back.

"9 years ago..."


	9. A Job Alone: Sapphire

"A job... alone?" Fate asked, her voice laced with worry.

"Well, why not? We've been on a couple with others. Don't worry. We'll start small, and then move our way up." Ethan replied.

"I-I'm not sure..." Fate mumbled.

"It's okay. Plus, almost everyone is out on a job right now. We can't fall behind."

Fate sighed.

"Fine, you win... but what kind of job?" Fate asked.

" _ **WH-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS**_!?"

Everyone turned in the direction of the request board to see Cana clutching a job in her hands.

" _ **THIS SUPER EASY JOB FOR 2-2-2-2-2 MILLION**_!?"

Everyone gathered around.

" _ **An 8 year old girl named Karissa Johnson has disappeared from her home and her family is worried about her. She has been spotted at the East Forest, but doesn't know that the number of Forest Vulcan has increased. Find her before a monster does!  
Place: East Forest  
Reward: 2, 0000 Jewels**_!" Cana read.

"They must miss her..." Wakaba muttered.

"Searching for an 8 year old in the East Forest? That's like trying to find a non-scary part of Erza..." Laki mumbled.

"I-I'm not gonna take this job, who is?" Cana asked. Everyone was silent.

"We will."

They all turned to see Ethan with Fate in his arms.

"Fate can fly, and I'm the Earth Dragon Slayer. No forest is gonna beat us; we've basically lived in forests all our lives." Ethan said confidently.

"D-Do you want any help? It seems slightly challenging..." Cana said.

"Nope, no need. We want to do a job by ourselves." Ethan replied. Cana nodded and handed them the job.

"Good luck then."

* * *

Ethan sighed.

"Ethan!" Fate called.

"Anything...?" Ethan asked, looking up to see Fate flying above him.

"No!" She replied. Ethan sighed again.

"Good luck, huh? The forest is all off, there's something wrong. But what...?" Ethan asked no one in particular. He freaked out suddenly. "ARGH, WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO HERE!?"

"Ethan, watch your language! Just calm down, alright?!" Fate scolded, flying down to him.

"I can't! Something's off..." Ethan muttered. Fate sighed.

All of the sudden, there was a piercing scream that rang through the forest. They exchanged looks, and then went in the direction of the scream.

* * *

Almost within seconds, Ethan was fighting off Forest Vulcan and protecting Fate and 8 year old Karissa Johnson.

"This is stupid! There's so many!" Ethan yelled in frustration.

"I don't understand... there weren't so many before! I used to come here with my friends... I don't understand..." Karissa mumbled.

"Just don't move, okay?" Ethan asked, although it was a rhetorical question.

"Ethan..." Fate started.

"It's probably best if you fly away with her and get her to her family."

"I-I'm not gonna just leave you!" Fate exclaimed, caught off guard by what he said.

"But it's the best idea I have, I can't defeat this many."

"B-But..."

They were silent before Fate muttered something.

"Huh?" Ethan asked.

"I said _**SCREW THAT**_..." Fate said, raising her voice. "I'm not about to lose you, too..."

Ethan was silent for a moment before a Forest Vulcan attacked. Ethan took a deep breath.

 _ **"Roar of the Earth Dragon**_!"

It hit it right in the chest, throwing the Forest Vulcan away.

"I can only fight for so long, so you better think of something." Ethan said. Fate nodded.

* * *

"I-I can't..." Ethan fell to his hands and knees, having used up all his magic. The Forest Vulcan advanced, all defences for the 3 of them having been broken. "Fate..."

"But-"

" _ **LEAVE, RIGHT NOW**_!" Ethan yelled, cutting her off.

Fate froze, tears clouding her eyes, but she nodded and got ready to summon her wings, but all of the sudden, the Forest Vulcan froze, catching her attention. She heard something.

 _ **"Hakai mahō: Toppa!"  
"Roar of the Fire Dragon!"  
"Roar of the Water Dragon!"  
"Roar of the Sky Dragon!"  
"Roar of the Elemental Dragon!"  
"Memorimajikku: Faito!"  
"U~ōtāmajikku: Pawā!"  
"Poizunmajikku: Nokkuauto!"**_

A series of attacks took out the Forest Vulcans, leaving Ethan and Fate both shocked and relieved.

"Are you okay?"

Ethan and Fate turned to see a white Exceed. There were blue stripes on the back of both of his ears and the tip of his tail was red, and he was wearing a long-sleeved red shirt and black shorts. The thing about him that caught Fate's attention was his ruby red eyes. When she turned around, he froze.

"Hey, can you stand?" A girl with shoulder-length brown hair, with a distinctive purple bang, and brown eyes asked.

Ethan nodded, though he didn't get up because he was still looking around at the unconscious Forest Vulcan.

"Rory, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." A black Exceed asked, landing on the ground beside him.

She also had blue stripes on the back of her ears, but the tip of her tail was green. She was wearing a long-sleeved green shirt and a green skirt. Her eyes were emerald green. She looked at Fate and then froze herself.

"Wh-What...?" Fate asked. Everyone turned to see what was happening.

"W-We found..." Ruri trailed off. Fate made eye contact with Rory before he spoke.

"Sapphire..."


	10. Dragons & Dragon Slayers: Seananners

"I'm sorry for the confusion. You see, we're long-standing members of Fairy Tail, even before Cana, I hope I got her name right, joined. 8 years ago, I took off on a 10 year job and took all of them with me, and now we've returned with 5 new members." Charles explained to the group that surrounded and sat at the table he was sitting at. Ethan sat across from him.

"In any case, thanks for saving Fate and I." Ethan said.

"So, what do we call you?" Lucy asked.

"Do you mean our names or...?" Charles asked, a playful grin pulling at his lips.

"Yah, that's what I mean..." Lucy sighed in reply, causing Levy and Namine to giggle at her.

"Well, I'm Charles Turill." Charles started.  
"That's Adam Maalouf, you can't miss his gray shirt," Charles pointed to the man beside him who was, indeed, wearing a gray t-shirt with and a sleevless black vest over top of it.  
"Cathy Dixon," Charles pointed to the girl sitting beside Adam. Her wavy hair was brown and it reached just past her shoulders. It drifted well over the sides of her black glasses.  
"Jordan Marone," Charles pointed to a guy next to Cathy, who simply raised his hand off of the table a little to greet them.  
"Daniel Hoyle, Philip Ledger," Charles named 2 guys, to his left this time.  
"Max and Malcolm Gaine," Charles pointed to another guy, but this time also pointed to the ground to name Malcolm, who was a dog. A husky, to be exact.  
"Renee and Zoe Nacci," Charles pointed to a girl sitting beside Max and in her lap was a brown, mixed of browns more like, cat. Not an Exceed, but a cat.  
"Chilled and Minx Daznews," Charles pointed to the girl who had asked Ethan if he was okay earlier, and the boy sitting next to her. The boy's dark brown hair was slightly sticking out of his red hat, and his dark brown eyes were staring at his lap. Everyone had decided, he was just shy.  
"Hotaru Zachihnoy," Charles patted the head the head of a small girl sitting next to him. She had to be a younger age than the rest of them, but she was also not a little girl. Her black hair reached the middle of her back and she had her arms crossed in front of her on the table, restin gher head on them.  
"And last, but not least, Rory Evitt and Ruri Shiro." Charles stopped pointing after that.

Fate looked at Ruri and Rory. Ruri seemed calm and sweet, and she was smiling. But Rory... she didn't know what to think. Sometimes, a smile would play at his lips; but at other times, he was frowning and often casting her a very quick side-glance. Why did they seem so bothered by her? What had they called her... Sapphire? It was true that she had sapphire blue eyes, but it had to be the weirdest thing in her life, and that was saying something. Another weird thing was that the group had shrugged it off, helped them finish their job, let them split the reward when they had done most of the work of taking out the Forest Vulcan. The facts just weren't an easy puzzle for her, and as a kid she used to put together 1000 piece puzzles. Maybe she was missing something...?

"What type of magic do you all use?" Wendy asked.

"That's a question I was just waiting for." Charles teased.  
"I use Mind/Memory magic,  
Adam uses Fire Dragon Slaying magic,  
Cathy, Dan and Phil use Water Dragon Slaying magic,  
Jordan uses Sky Dragon Slaying magic,  
Max uses Water magic,  
Renee uses Poison magic,  
Chilled and Minx use Elemental Dragon Slaying magic  
and Hotaru also uses Mind/Memory magic, but she uses other magic as well."

Everyone was silent, staring at them with wide eyes.

"Was it something I said?"

All of the sudden, everything was thrown into a ruckus.

"DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE DRAGONS ARE?!" Natsu yelled more than asked. It was a more tell-me-now-or-I'll-kill-you type of "question"

"Natsu-San! Please, calm down!" Wendy pleaded, but her voice was too small for him.  
"IGNEEL?! GRANDEENEY?! METALICANA?! HIKARI?! TERRA?! ANY OF THEM?!"

"CALM DOWN, FLAME BRAIN!" Gray yelled.

"BACK OFF, ICE PRINCESS!" Natsu yelled back.

"You know Igneel!?" Adam asked.  
"You know Grandeeney!?" Jordan asked.

Everyone was yelling back and forth.

"STOP!"

And then everyone froze. They turned to the small voice that had just been raised in a stern way, although she had been pleading. It had startled the old/new group and everyone who knew her, was scared and shocked by her yelling at them. Fate hadn't yelled once. In fact, she mumbled a lot, or just didn't get involved at all. Natsu and Gray had stopped fighting, but had froze in place, where Natsu was holding Gray's shirt collar and Gray was pushing on Natsu's face and one of his shoulders. Everyone was waiting to see if she would yell again.

"Everytime we hear something about the dragons, all of you go ballistic! You- You go /seananners/!" Fate's voice had lowered, but it was still stern. "This /might/ be one of our closest clues, and it may not be! It just means that we'll have to keep searching! Now, can we please just sit down and talk so we're not killing each other by dusk!?" Fate asked. Everyone took it as a retorical question and sat down.

* * *

"The Fire Dragon, Igneel,  
The Iron Dragon, Metalicana,  
The Sky Dragon, Grandeeney,  
The Light Dragon, Hikari,  
The Earth Dragon, Terra,  
The Water Dragon, Mizu,  
The Elemental Dragon, Amizuchi...  
Just where have they all gone...?" Jordan asked.

"I don't understand. We're talking about 7 dragons here. They shouldn't be this hard to find." Ruri said.

"But, they are..." Phil complained.

"And it's driving all of us completely nuts." Dan stated.

"Don't you mean... seananners?" Akina asked teasingly.

"Please stop." Fate said, regretting the use of the word.

"Either way, all of the dragons have disappeared, leaving no trace behind. My question is, how did Natsu and Adam, and Wendy and Jordan, have the same dragon, but didn't know each other?" Charles asked. Everyone thought for a moment, then deeply sighed.

"Where are those math skills, Fate?" Ethan asked.

"This isn't math, though..." Fate replied. She noticed Rory staring at her and sighed, sending him a smile. As she expected, he turned away and she quietly huffed. What she didn't expect was him turning back and sending her a small, sincere smile, before he turned away again. "I don't understand..." She muttered.


	11. The S-Class Wizard Advancement Exam?

Fate yawned as she stretched out in Ethan's bed. She had crawled into it in the middle of the night again, despite the fact that Ethan might've crushed her. Lucy had been kind enough to give her and Ethan a room beside Akina, Namine and Destiny's, and Fate had put effort into making herself a small bed on the ground, out of the way, and it was super comfy. There shouldn't have been a problem, but Fate was always problematic.

Ethan wasn't in his bed, he must've gone to the kitchen, where everyone probably was. Despite him and Akina not getting along very well, the mornings were always... simple.

Fate got up and looked out the window through the curtains to see that it was snowing. What had it been since her and Ethan joined Fairy Tail? One month, maybe two months? It was December of x784. What day, Fate didn't remember at the moment. She watched the snow fall as she heard fighting in the other room.

"Akina, what the hell!?"  
"What the hell to you too, Ethan!"  
"Come on now..."  
"AH! STOP, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Fate smiled a little.

'10 years now, I think...'

* * *

"You can predict the future?" Wendy and Lisanna asked at the same time.

Ethan, Akina, Namine, Destiny, Fate, Chilled, Minx, Hotaru, Rory, Ruri, Wendy, Carla and Lisanna were sitting at the same table when Carla had brought up the subject.

"Yes. Remember what the Queen said? I also have the power to see the future. Now that I consciously realize it, I'm able to control it a little." Carla explained.

"That's amazing, Carla." Wendy said.

"So tell me, who will I marry in the future?" Lisanna asked.

"I can't see that far into the future." Carla replied. She crossed her arms and looked around the Guild. "Let me see..." She pointed to Macao, who was reading a newspaper. "For example... you see Macao over there? Pretty soon Wakaba will come over and they'll start talking about the young people in the Guild."

They all instantly payed attention just before Wakaba walked over to Macao.

"Yo, Macao." Wakaba said.

"Hey there!" Macao replied.

"Wow, he really came, Carla!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Shh, the real part comes now!" Lisanna declared.

"It's that time of the year again, you know?" Wakaba asked.

"Sure brings back memories." Macao said.

"Back when we were younger..." Wakaba trailed off.

"We sure had that passion, you know?" Macao asked.

"But the young'uns these days are incredible! Such fine asses!"

"You're the ass!"

"Oh, more of the breast man, are we?"

"I got kids, buddy. I don't go 'round starin' at girls' rears!" Macao sneered.

"What about their feet?" Wakaba asked.

"Man, could I take a bite out of..."

"Those could step on me anytime!" They both laughed as the group watching them all sweat-dropped.

"W-Well..." Wendy trailed off.

"You were totally spot on! The conversation was disgusting, however." Lisanna said.

"I can promise you, not all guys talk about that stuff." Ethan promised, pulling his hat slightly over his face. Chilled had already gone for a full facepalm and a head-desk, and Rory sat there with his arms crossed and eyes closed, probably killing Macao and Wakaba over 3 times in his head. Destiny laughed nervously, probably thinking of the optimistic side of things.

"I'm sorry I went and predicted that." Carla apologized.

"Either way, that's amazing, Carla." Wendy said.

"Yup! Yup!" Lisanna agreed.

"Anyway, I still can't control it perfectly." Carla said.

* * *

The next day, everyone crowded the Guild hall.

"What's going on?" Ethan asked, standing with his usual group with Fate in his arms.

"The old man has some sort of "announcement" to make." Minx replied. "But damn you, you won't tell us!" Charles only chuckled and smiled.

"We'll find out soon enough." Akina said.

The curtain raised to reveal Master, Erza, Mira and Gildarts standing on a stage.

"Fairy Tail! As we have done since days long past, I will now announce the participants in this year's S Class Wizard Advancement Exam!" Master announced. The whole Guild cheered.

"S Class Wizard Advancement Exam?" Chilled and Ethan asked.

"Idiots." Minx and Akina insulted them.

"Do they hold this every year or something like that?" Namine asked, Destiny being held in her arms.

"Yah, they did before we left and had no reason to stop." Charles replied.

"Ah! I wonder who'll be picked! What do you think the actual exam is going to be like!?" Destiny asked.

"Probably something hard and dangerous. I bet they'll test obvious things like brain power, strength, etc." Fate replied.

"Alright then! I'll stick with what you think!" Destiny decided.

"Why?" Fate asked.

"Because I want to see if you're right, and you're an adorable genius so you most likely are!" Destiny replied. Fate blushed and smiled.

"There you go again..." Fate sighed.

"Everyone, quiet down!" Erza ordered.

"Master isn't finished speaking yet." Gildarts said. Everyone was silent once again.

"This year's exam will take place on Tenroujima! It is the holy ground for our Guild." Master said. "Each of your powers, hearts and souls... I have judged them all this past year. There will be 9 participants!

Natsu Dragneel!  
Gray Fullbuster!  
Juvia Lockser!  
Elfman!  
Cana Alberona!  
Freed Justine!  
Levy McGarden!  
Mest Gryder!  
And finally, Charles Turill!"

"WHAT!?" The group around him asked.

"Master came and talked to me about it. 8 years ago, I was a very good mage, and now I've grown. So he thinks it's good to give me a chance." Charles explained. They all calmed down, just a little.

"This time, only one of you will pass. The exam will take place in one week, so each of you, prepare yourselves!" Master ordered.

Ethan and Fate noticed Wendy and Carla close by and headed over. Ethan, Fate and Wendy started a conversation about the whole exam while Carla shook her head.

"Honestly... Such a fuss all the time." Carla said to no one in paticular. That's when she froze, gasping.

"What's the matter, Carla?" Wendy asked, pausing her conversation with Ethan and Fate.

"N-Nothing..." Carla replied. Once the 3 were distracted again, Carla went back to her thoughts.

'What was that, just for a moment...' Carla thought.

* * *

 _Everything was in black and white._  
 _A tree was breaking and falling._  
 _Cana was sobbing, tears streaming down her face._  
 _Natsu sat on the ground, looking scared and/or horrified._  
 _A motionless hand lied on the ground._  
 _16 figures stood in the darkness._  
 _4 figures were running through a forest, obviously in a panic._  
 _Destiny was screaming, reaching out to someoe with a look of horror on his face._  
 _An Exceed wearing a t-shirt and shorts with a bandana tied around his neck stood over Fate, who was unconscious. Blood ran down her face from her forehead and her cheek and her left shoulder was soaked in blood as well. The other Exceed had tears running down his face and was holding a knife, blood slowly dripping off of it..._

* * *

Carla's eyes widened in shock and horror.

* * *

 _A man in perhaps robes stood, wind pushing away his robes and making his hair fly in the wind._  
 _He opened his eyes, and seemed mad._

* * *

'Who?' Carla thought. Fate noticed Carla's un-easyness and wondered what was wrong, but didn't ask.

* * *

"As this is the first time for some of you, let me explain the rules." Master said.

"Each of the 9 selected participants, please select a partner within the week of preparation." Mira said.

"There are two rules for the partners you can choose. One, they must be a member of Fairy Tail. Two, you cannot partner with S-Class Wizards." Erza explained.

"The contents of the exam itself will be announced once you arrive at Tenroujima. But this time, Erza will be blocking your progress." Master said.

"I'll also help out to get in your way!" Mira said optimistically.

"No complaining! All S-Class wizards have gone through the same path." Gildarts said.

"The 9 selected participants and their chosen partners will assemble at Hargeon Port in one week. That is all!"

* * *

"They went ahead of us, I don't believe them!" Minx complained. "I'm gonna beat them to a pulp!" And with that, she ran ahead. Chilled stayed behind, trying to make himself warm while Charles shook his head at her behaviour.

"I still can't get used to her enthusiasticness." Chilled said softly, blowing into his hands and then rubbing them together. "So, Charles. Since Minx isn't very interested and I am, now is the perfect time to ask. Have you chosen your partner yet?"

"Actually, I was just about to do that." Charles replied. He stopped in his tracks and turned to face Chilled with a smile.

* * *

 _ **And so, a week later in Hargeon Port...**_

Gray and Loke,  
Lisanna and Juvia,  
Elfman and Evergreen,  
Freed and Bickslow,  
Mest and Wendy,  
Gajeel and Levy,  
Cana and Lucy,  
Natsu and Happy,  
And Charles and Chilled,

were standing in front of a boat with the Fairy Tail mark on it.


	12. Trials

"Hot... Even though it was Winter back home... What is this?! I think I'm gonna melt!" Lucy complained." I'll turn into ice cream and get eaten by Happy!"

"Not very appetizing..." Happy commented.

"Lu-Chan, sit up straight." Levy said.

"Because of currents, this area has the same climate all year 'round." Cana said.

"I feel sluggish..." Happy complained.

"I'm gonna turn into ice cream..." Lucy complained.

"Aye..." Hapy agreed.

"This heat ain't nothin'." Gajeel said.

"Juvia, are you sure you aren't hot all bundled up in that?" Lisanna asked.

"Juvia is not hot. But you could say... that Gray's naked body is hot!" Juvia replied.

"Hot..." Gray complained.

"I feel sick..." Natsu complained.

"Natsu! Keep it away from here, okay?" Loke asked.

"Wendy didn't perform a Troia on me..." Natsu whined.

"You can't blame her. After all, she's Mest's partner." Loke said.

"I'm sorry, Natsu-San." Wendy said.

"Oh, look, Natsu!" Chilled layed a hand on Natsu's shoulder, pointing at the water. "A bunch of fish!"

"I can't see them..." Natsu replied.

"Yo need to focus, focus! Then, you can see the fish! Focus!" Chilled told him.

"Aren't you my partner?" Charles asked with a small smile on his face.

"I'm not casting anything, and I feel bad! Don't guilt trip me anymore, Char, please." Chilled replied. Charles chuckled.

"I'm fine with it." Charles said.

"I don't care for this chumminess when soon, we're all going to be enemies." Evergreen said.

"It's hot to be a man!" Elfman complained.

"I have no idea what that means." Evergreen said.

"I want to eat ice cream..." Lucy said.

"Don't eat me, okay?" Happy asked.

"I can't even imagine you as ice cream, Happy..." Lucy replied.

"It's in sight." Loke said.

"Oh, you're right! It is!" Chilled exclaimed, trying his best to hold Natsu up from falling onto the floor.

"Have we arrived?" Gray asked.

"That's Tenroujima!?" Lucy asked.

"What a freaky shape!" Elfman said.

"An island on top of the island?" Levy asked.

"Wow... Even from here, I feel magic power in the air around the island." Wendy said.

"Natsu! We're almost there!" Happy re-assured him.

"H-Hang on..." Chilled said with a smile, although he seemed a bit overwhelmed by how bad Natsu's motion sickness was.

"It's said that long ago..." Everyone looked up to see Makarov. "There were fairies on that island."

"Master..." Lucy said.

"Also, in reference to the very first Fairy Tail master, there's Mavis Vermillion's sleeping ground." Master said.

"What's with those clothes!?" Gray asked.

"After all, it's hot!" Makarov replied.

"Someone who wears no clothes can talk!?" Lucy asked.

"Now, I will announce your first trial. You see the smoke rising over the shore? First, head over there. You'll find 9 passages, but only one team can enter each passage. And at the end of each passage, this will happen." Makarov held out his hand and a map appeared.

3 paths said Pitched Battle, 2 paths said Calm and 4 paths said Battle.

"Only the teams who get through this will pass the first trial.  
In the "Battle" route, 2 teams amongst the 9 go head to head, and only the team that wins can go on.  
"Pitched Battle" is the most difficult route, as you must defeat a current S Class Wizard to proceed.  
"Calm" is a route that can be used to get to the end without fighting.  
In this first trial, you're being tested on "armed might" and "luck"!" Makarov explained.

"Luck!?" Half of the group asked.

"If you want armed might, I guess we both got it. But are you lucky by any chance?" Charles asked.

"Well... Minx calls me her good luck charm sometimes..." Chilled replied.

"I'll take it." Charles said.

"Now go! The test has begun!" Makarov yelled. Almost immidiately, Natsu and Happy took off by using Happy's wings.

"No fair!" Gray yelled.

"Natsu! You bastard!" Elfman yelled. All of the sudden, Natsu and Happy hit something and they fell.

"A rune!?" Cana asked.

"Relax! It'll disappear in 5 minutes!" They heard Freed yell.

"But..." Chilled trailed off.

"Chilled, let's go!" Charles said.

"EH!? B-But-"

"I re-wrote the ruins! I use Mind/Memory magic, remember!?" Charles asked. Chilled's face lit up.

"Hey!" Lucy snapped.

"I'm sorry! But, this is only for Chilled and I!" Charles yelled as he jumped into the ocean.

"We're sorry!" Chilled yelled before jumping off as well.

* * *

Chilled looked back at the way they entered the cave from.

"What is it?" Charles asked.

"I don't know if it's the magic power coming from the land or not, but... I have this un-easy feeling." Chilled replied.

"Maybe it's just you being you, you know? Feeling bad for leaving the group behind while we do this, and leaving the group on the boat." Charles said.

"No. It's true, I feel bad for doing both of those but... this is another un-easy feeling. It's like... something's gonna happen, and even if Fairy Tail is ready for it... it's gonna lead one thing to another and sweep us off of our feet until we go insane and force ourselves to be ready." Chilled explained. Charles was quiet for a moment.

"You too, huh?" Charles asked. Chilled nodded. "Well, the only thing we can do is wait and see. Hopefully it's nothing Fairy Tail can't handle, and Fairy Tail can handle lots of things, Chilled."

"I know. Let's keep moving." Chilled said.

* * *

"Now then, I think everyone is here."

Everyone turned to see Makarov.

"I will now announce the results, to date." Makarov said.  
"Cana and Lucy defeated Freed and Bickslow in battle, and passed through.  
Natsu and Happy managed to get past Gildarts somehow, and passed through.  
Levy and Gajeel passed through a peaceful route with good luck.  
Charles and Chilled also passed through the other peaceful route with good luck.  
Gray and Loke defeated Mest and Wendy in battle, and passed through."

"Did Juvia fail?" Gray asked.

"Juvia and Lisanna hit upon... her. The female knight who knows not of how to hold back!" Makarov replied.

"Elfman and Evergreen are all that's left... but..." Chilled trailed off.

"They would've come across Mirajane, the poor souls." Charles said.

"H-How can you say that with a smile on your face?" Chilled asked. Charles laughed a little bit.

"Hold it!"

They all turned to see a well-injured Elfman and Evergreen emerging from the forest.

"We beat Onee-chan!" Elfman said.

"We've passed through the first test!" Evergreen said.

"What did you do to get past Mira!?" Happy asked.

"I-I can't say... as a man." Elfman replied.

"L-Let's just say we found an opening to slip through..." Evergreen replied.

"Anyway... the teams that passed the first test are:  
Natsu and Happy,  
Gray and Loke,  
Charles and Chilled,  
Levy and Gajeel,  
Cana and Lucy  
and Elfman and Evergreen.  
Those 6 teams. Now we will begin the second test!" Makarov announced. Natsu suddenly got up and pointed at everyone.

"Gray! Levy! Cana! Elfman! Charles! Let's fight and see just who'll become an S Class wizard!" Natsu challenged.

"Sure." Charles replied.

"You, especially, I ain't gonna lose to." Gray said.

"Neither will I." Levy said.

"As a Man, I will take on that challenge!" Elfman declared.

"Now then, I will announce the details for the second test of the S Class Wizard Advancement Exam!" Makarov said.  
"The second test is searching for the grave of Mavis, our founding Guild Master. You have only 6 hours! Hear that? I said 6 hours. I'll be waiting at Mavis's grave."

* * *

"Time limit, 6 hours. I've set on my watch to remind us 20, 10 and 5 minutes before it's up." Charles said.

"But, we're all split up now. How do you expect any of us to find it, when the island's so big and grave's could be any size!? For all we know, this could be a trick question! Maybe, the island, or the tree, is Ms. Mavis's grave!" Chilled freaked.

"Ms. Mavis?" Charles asked.

"I'm being polite, this is our first Master here! Our founding Guild Master! She's important!" Chilled replied.

"Calm down, let's think about it together, okay?" Charles asked. Chilled sighed.

"Okay!"

* * *

"What?! Elfman and Evergreen are getting married?" Erza asked.

"And while I was still blanked out, they landed some attacks." Mira replied.

"Hold it! When's the wedding? And wait, when did those 2 start..."

"No... I think it was just a plan to throw me off guard. Guess I still have a long way to go." Mira said.

"Is it really just a plan?" Erza asked.

"Those 2? I don't really see it. I mean, if they get married and have a kid..." Mira trailed off. Mira started crying.

"Don't cry, Mira... It's cute the way you imagined it." Erza said.

"What are you guys talking about?"

They all turned to see their spectating group returning. Ethan, Fate, Akina, Destiny, Namine, Minx, Adam, Rory, Cathy, Ruri, Jordan, Dan, Phil, Hotaru, Max, Malcolm, Renee and Zoe.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Erza replied. "Where did you all go?"

"We went down to the ocean and found lots of flowers. And the ocean seems to have calmed down." Cathy said.

"By the way, where are Freed and Bickslow?" Lisanna asked.

"They went back to the guild with Gildarts." Erza replied.

"That's a shame, they're gonna miss out on the winner." Ethan said.

"Minx, you haven't said anything since we got here. Are you mad at Chilled and Charles?" Ruri asked. Everyone was quiet as Minx stared off into the forest. Hotaru also seemed a little off.

"It's nothing. Just this feeling I'm getting, but it's probably because this is the first time Chilled and I have been seperated for this long." Minx replied. Everyone shruged it off and went back to talking, but Hotaru grabbed Minx's hand.

"Minx... I don't like the feeling in the air. Something's..."

"Wrong." Minx finished Htaru's sentence.

"Juvia will go look for them. It is a little worrying..." Juvia said. That snapped Minx and Hotaru into the conversation at hand.

"Then I'll go as well." Erza said.

"Where?" Hotaru asked.

"Out to look for Mest and Wendy." Jordan replied.

"I hope they're okay." Renee said. Fate suddenly got this weird feeling and turned around, looking around. Only Rory seemed to notice.

"What's wrong, pipsqueak?" Rory asked. Fate sighed a little bit at the name he had landed on for her, but answered nonetheless.

"Something feels off." Fate replied.

"It's probably just the high magic power messing with your head, don't worry about it." Rory said. Fate shook her head, which got his full attention. Usually, she had agreed with him... up until now.

"It's something else." Fate said sternly. Rory could only stare as Fate looked at the sky in worry. "And it's... not friendly." Fate turned aorund, planting a smile on her face. "Ethan! We should go explore some more!"

"Good idea, partner! Let's go!" Ethan said.

"Let me go with you!" Destiny said.

"Follow us if you wish!" Ethan called back. With that, some of the group ran after them.

"Rory, come on." Ruri said before running ahead of him. Rory looked up at the sky and a bad feeling washed over him before he ran after his group.


	13. Flowers Crowns? Nope

"We should make flower crowns for everyone!" Hotaru suggested.

"Huh? How do you make flower crowns?" Akina asked.

"Oh~? There's something the mighty Akina Blake can't do? I see." Ethan teased.

"You know what! Watch me! I'll make a bunch of really great flower crowns!" Akina yelled.

"I accept that challenge!" Ethan yelled back.

"Does everything have to be a challenge between them?" Max asked.

"Yes, apparently." Namine replied.

"Children..." Zoe muttered, not interested in anything but sleeping on Renee's lap. Malcolm was already sleeping between Max and Renee. Minx laughed as Ethan and Akina fought each other to make lots of flower crowns, but were both struggling.

"You're gonna both lose!" Minx laughed. Adam, Cathy and Jordan smiled, also slightly struggling with their flower crowns.

"OH YAH!" Ethan yelled.

"WHO TO!?" Akina asked. Minx stopped laughing for a moment, but kept a wide smile on her face as she pointed. Fate, Destiny, Rory and Ruri were sittin together across the flower feild. Fate had just set aside another flower crown into their pile.

"Well, Fate's the one who taught me, so I'm not surprised." Ethan said.

"I just realized, we know about you mostly, but Fate... we almost know nothing." Akina said.

"S-So, would you mind if I joined your contest!? Or is it off limits?" Namine asked.

"Oh, well I guess-"

"Great!" Namine cut Akina off. Akina grew suspicious about how Ethan wouldn't look at her now and how Namine seemed to instantly changed the subject.

* * *

Fate's ear twitched. She turned around quickly, having heard something.

"What is it?" Destiny asked.

"Huh? O-Oh, nothing." Fate replied, smiling at him. Destiny didn't buy it.

"You looked towards the forest, did you see something?" Destiny asked. Fate shook her head.

"Don't worry about it." Fate replied, though it was barely audible as she turned her attention back to the flowers in her lap. All of the sudden, she saw something out of the corner of her eye and looked up. Destiny followed her gaze and saw a red flare in the sky.

"A red flare?" Destiny asked. Rory got up.

"The red flare means an enemy is on the island. We're in trouble." Rory said.

"Hey! We should head back to camp with that!" Minx yelled.

* * *

"What enemy!? Who would dare mess with us!?" Adam asked.

"I don't know! But, Erza was in charge of the flares I think! We should head back to camp!" Minx replied.

'An enemy, so simply...' Rory thought.

"I'm worried abotu everyone. We're all split up." Fate said.

"It's okay. Fairy Tail can't be beaten easily, if we've lasted this long." Phil said.

"That's the spirit, Phil!" Cathy said.

"Look out!"

They all turned at an unfamiliar voice, but realized a fire attack coming towards them. From the direction it was coming from, it would hit Fate first cause she was trailing behind. Ethan tried to stop himself in order to go back and protect her, but he slipped on the ground underneath his feet.

"FATE, MOVE!" Destiny yelled, but she wouldn't be able to in time. When it hit the ground, they all went flying backwards. Ethan instantly got up.

"Fate!" He yelled. When the smoke from the hit cleared, Fate wasn't even there. "Wh-Where-"

"I'm fine!" They all looked up to see Fate being held by a cloaked Exceed. They put her down and she turned to them. "Thank you, but..."

"Be more careful." They said, flying off before anyone could say anything else.

"Who...?" Ethan asked.

"I don't know..." Fate replied.

"HEY, NO TIME TO BE PONDERING!" Akina snapped. Enemies had appeared out of nowhere.

"Alright! Time to fight." Ethan said.

'But, who...?'


	14. Everyone's Fighting

"So... it has started, I presume."

A smile appeared on someone's face.

"This will be... _**interesting**_..."

* * *

"Dammit! We got seperated from everyone else..." Ethan said.

"Maybe that's for the best." Akina said.

"Do you think everyone's okay?" Namine asked.

"They'll be fine. This is Fairy Tail we're talking about." Adam said. Cathy and Jordan nodded.

"But, how many more enemies do you think there are? I don't even know what that mark is." Destiny said, refurring to the mark on the masks of the enemies surrounding them.

"Grimoire Heart. That's their guild mark." Rory said.

"You mean, Grimoire Heart, one of the top 3 Dark Guilds of the Balam Alliance?" Fate asked.

"No, I mean the book I'm reading. YES, the Dark Guild!" Rory replied.

"Don't be so sour!" Ruri scolded.

"Whoever they are, whatever they want, I don't give one flying fuck! They're messing with the wrong guild!" Ethan declared.

"You should watch your language."

As all the minor enemies scattered, they turned around to see a man with short, messy black hair and amaranth eyes.

"Or I'll watch it for you."

* * *

"Hurry up, Chilled!" Charles yelled as he ran. Chilled was trailing not too far behind.

"I'm doing my best to keep up, you know! I'm worried about everyone else!" Chilled yelled back.

"So am I, that's why we need to find someone so we can slowly regroup!" Charles yelled back. 'The exam has us all split up. Why did Grimoire Heart, out of all guilds nonetheless, strike now? What the hell are they after!?'

"Maybe we should head back to camp then!" Chilled yelled.

"Good idea!"

* * *

"The Great World of Magic!?" Ethan asked, landing on the ground with a bit of a slide.

"A world of magic, governed by chaos and darkness. I expect that your teammates are also just learning about it now. Except for the 2 women, the 3 cats, the little girl, that troubled youth and your Master; everyone is fighting right now, so they're bound to learn about it." The man said.

"2 women, 3 cats, little girl, troubled youth... Mirajane, Lisanna, Happy, Carla, Lily, Wendy and Natsu?" Namine asked.

"And the Master..." Jordan added.

"I don't get it!" Ethan complained.

"The Great World of Magic, a world of magic that is governed by chaos and darkness. It's a place where those without magic cannot live. Or even if they can, it's a living hell... Sounds wonderful, no? A world just for us, where garbage without magic do not exist. When Zeref becomes the king of this world... the World of Great Magic will be complete. Those without magic power will all cease to exist. I've been waiting, we all have, for this exact age to come around." The man explained.

"That's..." Cathy trailed off.

"Absolutely ridiculous!" Adam snapped.

"Only 10% of people in the world are wizards! The other 90% doesn't have any magic!" Akina yelled.

"Give me a break, that's a stupid world to live in. If there was supposed to be a world with only wizards, things woould've ben done right off of the bat. We would all have magic, because a world with only 10% of the original population... that would be..." Ethan trailed off.

"Boring, lonely, not right." Fate said.

"Exactly." Ethan said.

"You think Fairy Tail will let you get away with that?" Jordan asked.

"But what the hell are those 90% supposed to be for? Tell me that, Fairy Tail." The man said.

"Everyone in this world is here because we help one another live, you asshat! We all need each other! Us wizards, we bring the power and the normal people pay the rewards. It doesn't even have to be Jewel, or any stupid prize! Just seeing the smiles on peoples faces, I don't know about anyone else but that's all I care about! The world is buillt upon the requests that are given, that's how guilds were born!" Ethan explained.

"In the end, you people don't understand. You cannot get close to the true depths of magic... You, who do not know the true terror of Zeref. When Zeref shows his true power... You will be able to do nothing, nothing, nothing except grovel before him." The man stated.

"Fairy Tail will never bow down!" Adam yelled as he charged.  
" _ **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist**_!"

However, the man sent Adam flying by barely moving.

"Adam!"

"There's only one person on this whole island who I want to fight. And, that's you..." The man raised his hand and his finger landed upon Ethan. "Ethan Hibiki."

* * *

"The sun's setting..." Charles mumbled.

"Charles, there's this disturbance in the air! I think it's a thunderstorm!" Chilled yelled up to him, still trailing behind a little bit.

"Great, just what we needed! A darm, stormy night in the middle of a gigantic battle! What's next, Mavis Vermillion's ghost army!?" Charles asked.

"Her what, wait-!"

"IT WAS A JOKE, CHILLED!"

* * *

"Where the hell did part of our group go!?" Minx asked.

"We should keep going, they're strong! They'll handle themselves!" Max yelled.

"I hope you're right!" Renee and Hotaru whined.

"Maximus, there's a storm coming." Zoe said.

"Didn't I tell you to call me Max?" Max asked.

"She's right though, and nonetheless it's a thunderstorm." Malcolm said.

'Chilled... please, be okay.' Minx thought.

'Charles...' Hotaru thought.

* * *

Ethan could've sworn he heard something crack when his back hit the tree he was flung at. Akina kicked something, which seemed like a transparent wall, where they could see and be seen, but couldn't get through.

"This is bullshit! Why did you accept his challenge, you idiot!?" Akina asked, pushed up against the transparent wall as if she could get through with enough force. Ethan didn't answer, he only stood up, using the tree as support.

"I was hoping you would be more of a match..." The man muttered. He was barely injured, and had barely moved. "Oh well. Time to finish this." He raised his hand to land a final attack when all of the sudden, he heard a small sobbing noise. He glanced over at the group behind his transparent wall and saw that it was Fate who was crying over her partner's state.

"Stop crying, pipsqueak." Rory scolded.

"B-But..." Fate trailed off. The man muttered something, catching everyone's attention.

"Say that again, you punk! We didn't hear!" Akina snapped.

"A-Akina..." Namine warned.

"I said, STOP CRYING!" The man yelled, sending an attack their way. It was his transparent wall, it /would/ hit them. And when it did, it sent all of them flying backwards into ground. But Destiny noticed something: Fate wasn't there. "Where!? Where is that annoying, crying brat!? WHERE!?" Destiny caught a glimpse off something out of place and moving in the forest and ignored the pain in his body as he summoned his wings. He ignored everyone yelling at him as he flew off, following what was moving without hesitation. The man noticed and was about to use another attack before he noticed Ethan walking towards him.

"That annoying, crying brat... happens to be... my partner!"

With that, the man was hit by a roar of an Earth Dragon Slayer while he was off guard, and he slipped across the dirt and rocks underneath him, his arms now damaged from attempting to block the attack.

"DON'T TOUCH MY FAMILY!" Ethan yelled.


	15. Aaron Not Aaron?

_**I'm pretty sure that this chapter isn't too violent so... maybe a high T or just a little more higher than T in this one, just to be safe... OH WHO AM I KIDDING!? Fairy Tail's Manga is labeled under /Ecchi/ for the sake of Anime!**_

* * *

 _"Come on, ChillyWilly!"_

 _"Don't call me that, Minx!"_

 _"But, why not? Sine we'll always be together, we gotta have nicknames for each other!"_

 _"I see... how about what Dad always calls you, Minxy-boo?"_

 _"Don't you dare!"_

"Chilled, stop daydreaming!" Charles scolded. Chilled almost missed a step and he stumbled a bit, but he didn't fall and he kept running.

"I'm sorry, Charles!" Chilled yelled. 'Always together huh? Go to camp then, Minx...'

* * *

 _"Ame! Ame!"_

Fate stirred, listening to the familiar voice. She couldn't quite land who it belonged to.

"Ame... is an old name..." Fate mumbled. Her eyes hurt, and she didn't feel like opening them right off the bat because it could hurt more.

"What do you mean? I think you got hit too hard."

Fate's head hurt from thinking of who the familiar voice belonged to. She opened her eyes slowly, meeting seal brown eyes. The Exceed backed up, a smile on his face. Fate sat up instantly and she backed away until her back hit a tree. She recognized him, it wasn't hard to. His mikado yellow fur, his seal brown eyes and that red bandana he always wore.

"Aaron..."

* * *

Destiny had ran out of magic power and had to continue on foot. It wasn't long before dark clouds had set themselves over the island, and rain had started falling. That's not what he was worried about. It was the weird presence somewhere close, and it felt strong and willing. It sent shivers up Destiny's spine and he just wanted to find Fate quick, re-group with the others and then hopefully finish up the battle with Grimoire Heart and Zeref. The one thing that wasn't settling quite right in his mind was that presence, and it most definitely wasn't friendly.

* * *

"Calm down, please! What got into you!?" Fate asked. Aaron froze, grabbing his head in his hands.

"R-Run... please..." Aaron said.

"Forget it! A moment you were smiling, n-now..." Fate trailed off. Aaron had all of the sudden told her to run before his body started acting on it's own, pulling a knife out of his pocket and chargnig at her.

"I can't keep him away... RUN!" Aaron yelled. Fate flinched, unsure of what to do. She didn't understan, she didn't understand anything at all! Suddenly, Aaron completely froze, causing Fate to worry.

"A-Aaron...?" Fate asked softly, walking towards him slowly. He didn't answer, so she reached out to him. Then, without warning, she was pinned to the ground, left struggling underneath him. "Aaron, let go!"

"I'm tired of strugglers, whether it's me taking over their body or killing the one in front of me."

That was a different voice. It was Aaron, Fate knew that, the voice was right in front of her for Heaven's sake! But, that wasn't Aaron.

"Wh-What..." Fate trailed off.

"I'm a mage that uses a magic that can take over one's body. It's not take-over but..." His voice changed to Aaron's. "It's real affective if you want to hurt someone."

"Y-You... don't say that with Aaron's voice, with his face..." Fate trailed off again. his voice went back.

"Either way, I doubt you'll care in a few seconds." He said.

"Wh-What do you-" Fate was cut off when there was a sharp pain in her shoulder, causing her to scream.

* * *

Destiny froze when he heard a scream.

"Fate...?!"

* * *

When the knife was pulled out of Fate's shoulder, it almost hurt more. She could feel it bleeding like crazy, and she felt like there was no need to hide the tears that were slipping out of the corners of her eyes or the sobs that escaped her throat. She felt the knife pressing against her right cheek, and pressure being applied. Without warning, his face was blank as he pulled the knife down painfully slow, so she would feel the entire cut. A whimper escaped her and a smile rose to his face as he pulled the knife away. The smile disappeared as he heard something-no, someone-approaching. He got quickly, pulling Fate up with him despite her protests, and tightly held her from behind by wrapping his left arm around the front of her shoulders, even though his hand was applying pressure to her shoulder.

"Fate!"

Fate opened her eyes, weakly seeing Destiny appear. Destiny froze at the sight of her. Injured, covered in dirt and blood that seeped out of shoulder and dribbled down her right cheek. She barely had any fight left in her, hence the tear tracks that were staining her cheeks and getting run over by more tears as they escaped her eyes. It didn't take long to have her in this state, but Destiny's eyes widened at not only her, but the person behind her. Destiny went to move, but stopped when the Exceed gently pressed the knife to the left side of her forehead, daring Destiny to move.

"Move, and I'll mercilessly stab her in the head with my knife." He said.

"You're Aaron, aren't you? You're one of Fate's best friends, aren't you!?" Destiny asked, the anger obvious in his tone.

"Destiny, it's not... I mean, it is... but, he's... not..." Fate didn't know how to explain it herself.

"I suppose you want to know. I brought Aaron here, and I'm using him as a host so I could learn about Fairy Tail. A puny guild, really. I've only learned that all of you have a long way to go. I won't tell you my name, but... I'm with the Seekers of Nothing." He explained. "I suggest that you leave now, because I'm taking Sapphire with me. She knows something we don't."

"Fate... what do you... how..." Destiny couldn't put into words what he was feeling.

"Better sooner than later." "Aaron" said. Fate made eye contact with Destiny, telling him that she didn't know what he meant.

"You're not taking her anywhere." Destiny said sternly. There was a small silence.

"Fine. You take her instead. Though, I suppose I should leave you with a warning."

Destiny's eyes widened as he raised his hand with the knife in it, then brought it down. Destiny reached out for Fate, but it was too late as the knife dug into the left side of her forehead, then pulled out covered in more blood than before. Fate fell to the ground, unconscious and now bleeding from her head while "Aaron" stood over her, the blood on the knife that was still in his hand dripping off of it slowly. Suddenly, tears started streaming down his face.

"DAMN YOU!"

* * *

"Dammit, you were heavy Ethan." Adam complained.

"Sorry, my legs wouldn't work for me." Ethan apologized. Their group, the part of the gorup they had been separated from and Charles and Chilled had made it to camp, and had been there for awhile

"You did good though, idiot, in defeating that son of a bitch." Akina said.

"I'm worried... Fate disappeared and then Destiny flew off..." Ruri said, worry lacing her voice.

"Then there was that scream. We can't be sure who it came from, but... it sounded a lot like pipsqueak." Rory said.

"It's okay. If Destiny is with her, she'll be fine. Right?" Namine asked.

"I guess..." Rory replied. Suddenly, some bushes close to the camp rustled, throwing everyone into defensive positions before a familiar face appeared, another familiar face in his arms. Ethan could've sworn his heart stopped when he saw Fate's condition as Destiny held her, unconscious, in his arms. His left cheek and the right side of his collarbone were bleeding, but that was nothing compared to the state Fate was in.

"H-Help us..."


	16. Rustyrose

_**I just realized that I've forgotten about Dan and Phil. I feel so horrible, so they're coming back in this chapter.**_

* * *

Ethan wouldn't move from Fate's side once she was settled in a bed under the tent. Akina, Namine, Jordan, Minx and Chilled had all jumped in to help heal her, but it still wasn't enough. There were bandages wrapped around her left shoulder, a bandage pad on her right cheek and bandages wrapped around her head. Apparently, her shoulder and cheek would heal soon enough, but there was something blocking the healing of the left side of her forehead. Destiny had grabbed a dark gray t-shirt from his bag and offered it, seeming as how they had to strip her of her dress, and since she was smaller than him and the rest of them, other than Ruri who she was at height with, the t-shirt was big enough to cover her. Namine, being her neat-freak self, had folded Fate's dress and placed it beside her. Akina was now healing Destiny, who couldn't keep from oftenly glancing at Fate.

"You gonna tell us what the hell happened?" Ethan asked.

Destiny flinched. He knew that he needed to say something, but he also knew that Fate wouldn't really appreciate him telling everyone, "Oh yah. You know, Aaron, one of her best friends when she was a kid, stabbed her. But you know, it's cool cause I attacked him out of rage and he cut me too!" Destiny sighed.

"We ran into this Exceed, who took Fate away after the attack and I flew after him. He had knife, and he stabbed and cut Fate. I got angry at him, and myself for not getting there sooner, and I attacked him; but, he cut me, too. I don't know who he was, but he said that he was with the Seekers of Nothing and that Fate knew something they didn't, that they needed to know. He disappeared all the sudden... I think it was teleportation magic." Destiny explained. That was the closest to the truth he could get without saying something about Aaron. Or, Aaron but not Aaron... he didn't know, not that he cared much. He just wanted Fate to be okay.

"The Seekers of Nothing again... so not only is this a 3-sided-battle with Fairy Tail, Grimoire Heart and the black wizard Zeref; the Seekers of Nothing are here, too?" Namine asked.

"It's not a 4-sided-battle, I doubt they'll attack again, not if he disappeared. They haven't run from us, not until now." Akina said.

* * *

"Natsu and the others are coming here?" Lisanna asked Lily, who had just showed up.

"With Lu-Chan and Wendy, right?" Levy asked.

"Indeed. Unless something has happened, Carla should be leading them here." Lily replied.

"Thank goodness... We have a lot of injured here." Lisanna said.

"If we were attacked by the enemy, we'd be in trouble!" Levy added.

"They should also be bringing the wounded Master here." Lily said.

"Even the Master..." Hotaru mumbled. Charles patted her head.

"Cheer up! We won't ever give up! If we work together, I'm sure..." Levy trailed off. Suddenly, the sound of a puddle being stepped in was clear as day form behind all of them. They all turned around, seeing a man walking their way. Lisanna, Levy and Lily stood defensively, soon followed by Ethan, Akina, Adam, Dan, Phil, Chilled and Charles.

"If something happens to us, Namine, Destiny, Cathy, Rory, Ruri, Minx, Hotaru, Max, Malcolm, Renee, Zoe... protect the camp at all costs." Charles ordered.

"Idiot, can you fight?" Akina asked Ethan.

"I don't care if I have to become a ghost, I'll protect the camp. I still gotta kick some ass anyway." Ethan replied. Akina smiled.

"Giving up is important, too! In this world we live in, there is something called an "insurmountable difference in strength". My fragment... it's shaking in excitement... Devouring all the fairies, not leaving a single one left!" The man said.

"I-I don't get what's wrong with him..." Dan muttered.

"He's weird..." Phil and Chilled agreed.

'The problem is... with all the fighting along the way, we're all low on magic power...' Adam thought.

"I am one of the 7 Kin of Purgatory, Rustyrose!" The man introduced. "Women, children, cats and the wounded? Honestly, this doesn't seem like it'll be a particularly dramatic event. Too bad... even if it's the injured, I will not hold back. I will crush you all!"

"What the hell? You're just picking on the weak! The strongest Dark Guild, my butt! Don't you feel any shame?! Is that how you do things, huh?" Levy asked.

"We will sacrifice as many people as it takes to create our ideal world. And besides, no weaklings are meant to survive there." Rustyrose said.

"So we've heard..." Akina mumbled.

"I've never heard such _**bullshit**_ in my life." Ethan stated.

"You will never create an ideal world that way!" Lily said.

"Yes! Some of us learned that first-hand in Edolas!" Lisanna said.

"Then use your powers and try to stop me!" Rustyrose dared. "You should try to shake my fragment much, much more!" He striked unexpectedly, knocking aside all of them. "Cry! Scream! Those voices will be your requiem!" Suddenly, he was hit by something and he stopped attacking. "Who the hell are you?!"

Everyone looked up to see Freed and Bickslow.

"Freed! Bickslow!" Levy exclaimed.

"You came back!?" Lily asked.

"We noticed the signal flare. We came back together with Gildarts." Freed explained.

"Gildarts is back, too?" Lisanna asked.

"Ha! My Ark of Embodiment isn't going to have trouble with a few more weaklings! I'll turn the whole bunch of you into tragic memorial stardust!" Rustyrose declared.

"Whatie-Whatie-What now?" Ethan asked.

"I-I can't answer..." Akina replied.

"We never planned on fighting you fair and square. The 2 of us together will wipe you out completely." Bickslow said.

"By hurting Ever and our comrades, you have sinned. Rules do not apply to you." Freed said.

" _ **Baryon Formation**_!" Bickslow attacked first, but his attack was blocked. Freed attacked next, by the guy flew off of the ground.

"You think you can beat the power of imagination? You think you can beat my infinite power!?" Rustyrose asked. "Sacred Guardian Beast, Gale Belfast! Mow them all down! Make my fragment shake!"

"I-It's huge!" Chilled said, clinging to Minx's left leg.

"Get off of my leg, Chilled!" Minx snapped at him.

" _ **Seith Magic! Human Possession! Crumble**_!" Bickslow attacked.

" _ **Ecriture of Darkness! Darkness**_!" Freed attacked next.

"Th-That's the Raijinshuu...?" Renee asked.

"When they're fighting seriously, I guess..." Max replied.

"They're amazing!" Levy said.

Rustyrose struggled to get up, and eventually sat before Freed and Bickslow.

"Get up." Bickslow ordered.

"You have no path to forgiveness." Freed said.

Rustyrose stood up, readying another attack. A purple and white, glob perhaps, covered them.

"Here come more weird things..." Levy said.

"Be careful, you 2!" Lisanna warned.

* * *

Everyone fell to the ground.

"What in the world...?" Lily asked.

"M-My magic power... no... more like... my energy, whether or not it's physical..." Chilled explained.

"I-I'm not sure if hurts or if it's just... exhausting..." Ruri said.

"H-Hang in there, Ruri..." Rory said.

"I don't... get it..." Phil muttered.

"Changing stream! The roles have been reversed! I will have the last laugh!" Rustyrose declared as he attacked Freed and Bickslow. He mumbled something, than started laughing.

"Sh-Shit..." Charles muttered.


	17. Astraphobia?

"Okay." Freed said.

"Back in business!" Bickslow said.

"A-All the sudden, all our energy..." Hotaru trailed off.

"It's back!" Chilled cheered.

Freed and Bickslow jumped straight back into battle without hesitation, attacking Rustyrose.

"Come forth, Dimguil's Tower!" Rustyrose called. All of the sudden, Freed, Bickslow, Levy, Lisanna, Lily, Ethan, Akina, Adam, Dan, Phil, Chilled and Charles got stuck in a pillar of purple light that shaped itself into a tower.

"What is this?" Freed asked.

"I can't move!" Bickslow stated.

"Damn it! Even we are caught up!" Lily said.

"This damn thing..." Akina tried struggling.

"Everyone..." Namine mumbled, their small group looking upon the tower. Destiny heard a cough and movement and looked behind him to see Fate, sitting up and rubbing her eyes with one of her arms. He ran over to her.

"Fate, are you okay?" Destiny asked softly. She froze at the sound of his voice before she looked up at him.

"Wh-Where...?" Fate asked, unable to completely finish her sentence.

"We're at camp, don't worry." Destiny replied, his voice still soft.

"YAY!"

Destiny and Fate both flinched at the loudness of their friends. Destiny turned back, seeing that they had defeated Rustyrose.

"Alright!" Destiny cheered, forgetting about how close he was to Fate for a moment. When she flinched, he remembered. "Oh. Sorry." Fate nodded to tell him that it was okay. It was silent between them for a moment before she reached towards him. "Huh?"

"I-I can't stand... without support... I-I want to see Ethan... please..." Fate explained. Destiny nodded, helping her up. She put most of her weight on him, without noticing, and he helped her walk to the edge of the tent, because that was as far as she got. Ethan noticed immediately, and he was practically grinning from ear-to-ear. He ran over, kneeling in front of her.

"Yo, partner. Are you okay?" Ethan asked. Fate gave him a small smile and nodded. "Good."

* * *

"Wh-What happened..?"

"Everyone..."

Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Happy and Carla had arrived with an injured Cana and Makarov.

"I'll use healing magic right away!" Wendy said.

"Forget it, Wendy! We've all exhausted ourselves working on... er, all of them already." Jordan said. Fate frowned.

"You don't have to lie..." Fate mumbled. Jordan flinched, then rubbed the back of his head in shame.

"Still, though. Just Wendy isn't gonna be enough to heal everyone." Jordan said.

"Plus, there are still a bunch of asses we gotta kick. We should all be resting our magic power." Minx said. Wendy frowned, but nodded.

"By the way, what happened to you?" Carla asked.

"Just a little trouble. Don't worry about it." Destiny replied. Since Namine had gotten the time, there was now a bandage pad on Destiny's left cheek, and bandage wrapped diagonally across his chest from his right shoulder to his left side for the deep cut on his collarbone.

"The Grimoire Heart ship is anchored off to the East. Considering we need to defend this camp, how about splitting into 2 teams?" Lily asked.

"One attack team, and one defense team?" Levy asked.

* * *

"The sky's really pouring down..." Lucy said.

"I hate lightning..." Levy said.

Lily was standing beside Fate, who was now able to stand on her own. They both had their paws over their ears, and they were both shaking.

"What's wrong, Lily? Fate?" Happy asked.

"Don't tell me you're scared of lightning?" Carla asked.

"The lightning looks scary, and the thunder sounds scary. I rest my case." Fate replied.

"Fate, I can understand. But, there's a cute side to Lily after all." Happy said.

"Sh-Shut up!" Lily snapped at them.

"I'm not ashamed..." Fate mumbled.

"Now then, let's go defeat Hades... Lucy, Happy." Natsu said.

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed.

"M-Me...?" Lucy asked.

"We're on the same team, after all." Happy said.

"I know, but wouldn't Freed be a better..."

"I still need to inscribe this area with runes." Freed cut off Lucy.

"Leave the defenses to us." Bickslow said.

"I'm gonna go with Natsu-san and them, too!" Wendy decided.

"Wait, Wendy!" Carla said.

"I think I would be able to provide some kind of support..." Wendy said.

"I-I'm going, too... I need to avenge Gajeel..." Lily said.

"I need to punch someone. There's just been too much frustration for me today." Ethan said.

"But-!"

"Don't worry, Fate. Everyone staying behind will be here." Ethan cut Fate off. Fate frowned, but sighed and nodded.

"I'm going, too." Akina said.

"Count me in." Adam said.

"Us, too." Dan said. Phil nodded.

"Chilled, I'm going to stay here." Minx said.

"I'll go then." Chilled said.

"Great, so am I." Charles said, patting Hotaru's head before she could protest.

"I'm gonna stay here and help Freed with the runes." Levy said.

"I wanna stay here with Mira-nee and Elf-niichan." Lisanna said.

"I gonna stay with everyone here." Destiny said.

"Me, too." Namine said.

"I'll stay behind as well." Cathy said.

"I can help with the runes, so I'll stay where I'm most helpful." Rory said. Ruri nodded.

"I'll stay behind, and I'll keep a close eye one Hotaru for you, Charles." Jordan said. Max and Renee both nodded, followed by Malcolm and Zoe who nodded as well.

"Then it's decided." Freed said.

"We will protect everyone, no matter what." Bickslow said.

"Be careful, Lu-Chan." Levy said.

"Most of my magic power has returned." Lucy said.

"The only enemy left is Hades." Lisanna said.

"This looks like the final battle." Wendy said.

"We'll work hard, too!" Happy said.

"They know..." Carla said.

"Let's do it!" Natsu yelled. They all agreed with their own yells/cheers.

"Ethan." Fate said. Ethan looked down at his partner, then knelt down next to her.

"I'll be okay, and so will you." Ethan said.

"That's not it. I need to tell you something."

* * *

3Natsu charged, leading the group away.

"We'll be back before you know it!" Chilled promised before he followed the rest of the group, then they all disappeared.

"Fate, you should rest." Ruri said.

"I can't..." Fate said.

"Why not?" Ruri asked.

"This thunder and lightning... it's so unsettling!" Fate replied. Suddenly, the thunder in the sky clapped, releasing a small scream from her. "How mean!" Ruri smiled.


	18. Searching & Fighting

"Hey, what happened to the soundproofing on the ship!? I can completely hear the thunder!" Lily complained.

"Yeah, yeah..." Carla said.

"You'll be fine. It's not gonna strike you." Happy said. "Next, let's try going over here!" Happy pointed left.

"Come along, Lily!" Carla said.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Destiny asked.

"I'm fine." Fate replied.

"I mean-"

"I'm fine, Destiny."

"Pipsqueak, you should really lay down and get some rest. You'll exhaust yourself otherwise." Rory said.

"I can't rest in any way when I think of Ethan battling Hades... and nonetheless, most of our group went to stay on watch a bit too far from our camp for my liking." Fate explained.

"You should try looking after yourself a bit first." Ruri said as she threw a blanket over Fate. "You're all beat up, and you'll catch a cold wearing just one of Destiny's extra shirts." Fate glanced over at Ethan hat and jacket, which he had left behind. She sighed and grabbed both sides of the blanket and held it close.

"Thank you, Ruri." Fate said, smiling at her. Ruri smiled back and nodded.

"That's Orient Solid Script! He's..." Levy trailed off. They turned around and Rory sighed.

"Sounds like trouble." Rory said.

"I can use more than just Aera, I should help since everyone else is out on a far-off watch." Ruri said, running off to help before Rory could protest.

"S-So can I! Rory, please, stay with Fate." Destiny said before he also ran off.

'I... I don't want to just stand by!' Fate thought.

* * *

"We're not gonna get anywhere if we keep searching like this. Let's split up." Carla said.

"That's a good idea! Let's go with what Carla suggested!" Happy said.

"Split up? That means each o us is on our own?" Lily asked.

"Are you scared?" Happy asked.

"No such thing! We'll split up!" Lily half-replied half-yelled.

"Yes sir, sorry..." Happy said.

* * *

"I see, it's still a no-go." Happy said.

"Seems like we don't have a choice, let's carry on for a bit more together, then." Carla said.

"Y-Yeah..." Lily said. Suddenly, they heard a giggle and they all flinched, looking around.

"OW!" Happy was pushed to the ground when a small, cloaked Exceed landed on top of him. Their smile was big and wide, like they had meant it.

"Fairy Tail vs. Grimoire Heart, yes?" She asked. Happy nodded. She got off of him and ran a bit past Lily. "Follow me, for the power source, yes? " Happy, Carla and Lily could only nod. She giggled again before she ran ahead. The 3 Exceeds exchanged looks before following her.

* * *

Yomazu, Kawazu and Kain Hikaru had attacked the camp and at the moment, Bickslow and Lisanna were fighting.

"Bastards... you're quite the pain in the ass..." Bickslow said.

"It's the Grimoire Heart way to return the enemy twice as much for what they do to you, pero." Kawazu said.

"It's time to deal you the final blow, get it?" Yomazu asked.

"Th-This isn't good..." Destiny muttered. In front of him and Ruri stood the man that Ethan had beaten up, though he did have a fairly hard time doing so.

"We have no choice but to leave the 3 to Bickslow and Lisanna. We have to take him on." Ruri said.

"A-Are you crazy!?" Destiny asked.

"It is my tradition to present my name before those who are going to die by my hands. I'm Kurai Adachi." The man introduced himself.

"I'm not crazy, Destiny." Ruri replied. Destiny's eyes widened. Ruri was really kind and sweet, and had a tendency to freak out over little things, but remain calm through other things. That's why, how she was so serious and determined right now, shocked him.

"Let's begin." Kurai said.  
" _ **Earth God's Judgement**_."

They had seen the move in the battle between him and Ethan. The rocks around him lifted into the air and grew bigger, then they flew at them. Destiny wasn't sure what to do, but Ruri was.

" _ **Hakai mahō: Kauntā**_!"

A black wall of her magic countered against the rocks, shattering them, her spell not lasting to reach Kurai.

"Woah!" Destiny clapped.

"How about you do something!?" Ruri asked. Kurai frowned.

" _ **Earth God Slaying Magic: Death Scythes**_!" Kurai summoned a bunch of magic death scythes and sent them at the 2 Exceeds.

" _ **Hakai mahō: Ken kōgeki**_!" Ruri summoned a bunch of black magic swords and hit them against the death scythes, shattering the magic from both sides. "This isn't infinite, Destiny!"

"B-But, you're doing so well." Destiny said.

" _ **Earth God's Bellow**_!" Kurai sent his next attack without warning.

"Dammit!" Ruri wouldn't have enough time to call another spell.

"FATE, DON'T!" They heard Rory yell. They didn't need turn to see Fate because she was already in front of them. They braced themselves for the hit, but it didn't come. They looked up and gasped. Fate stood there, cancelling out the magic with her right paw. When the spell was completely cancelled out, she stood there panting. She had thrown on Ethan's jacket, the sleeves and the bottom of it all rolled up so it fit her.

"Fate..." Destiny mumbled.

"I'll explain later! Right now, Ruri!" Fate said. Ruri nodded and ran in front of Fate. She felt Fate put both of her paws on her back. "Make it count." Ruri felt a sudden surge of power, but nonetheless nodded and readied her attack.

"Damn cats." Kurai said.  
" _ **Earth God's Bellow**_!"

'I have to make it count! Fate is supporting me, even though she's injured! This is our camp, I have to protect it!' Ruri thought.

" _ **Hakai majikku: Himitsu no geijutsu: Kizutsukemasu**_!"

When the smoke from the attack cleared, Kurai was on the ground unconscious and fairly injured. Ruri and Fate didn't stop themselves from high-fiving.

"That's was amazing, Ruri." Fate said.

"All with your help, whatever that was, Fate." Ruri said. "By the way, cute way to stay warm." Fate looked down at her outfit and then looked back up, giggling.

"Looks like Bickslow and Lisanna won as well, with Cana's help. And Levy and Elfman." Destiny said. They looked and nodded.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT PIPSQUEAK!?" Fate flinched at Rory's voice.

"I-I thought I could help and I think I did, so..." Fate trailed off.

"So you nearly give me a fricking heart attack!? What a wonderful way to help!" Rory yelled. Fate looked down and Rory sighed, crossing his arms. "You did help, and thank you for protecting Ruri. But still, you nearly sent me over the edge worrying about you." Fate looked up at him. "What?"

"Worrying... you mean, you care!?" Fate asked excitingly. Rory flinched, backing away.

"I-I never said that." Rory said, his cheeks turning pink.

"You're so cute when you blush, Rory~!" Ruri teased. Fate giggled.


	19. What makes us Fairy Tail!

"Maybe the power source is really small and we just missed it." Happy suggested.

"With a ship the huge, it has to have a giant Lacrima powering it..." Carla replied.

"Speaking of which, why are we in these tiny vents?" Lily asked.

"I don't know, why don't you ask our fearless leader?" Carla asked.

"After that creepy little girl who was giggling and leading us disappeared, I just got this feeling." Happy explained.

"You'll feel my fist next!" Lily snapped.

Happy suddenly stopped, causing Carla to bump into his butt, which caused Lily to bump into hers.

"Geez, you could at least give us a warning before you stop." Carla said.

"Lily..." Happy sneered.

"What now?" Lily asked.

"Did you touch it?" Happy asked.

"Huh?"

"Carla bumped into my butt, which means you must've gotten a face full of her cushy-tushy."

"It's not my fault! You're the one who stopped without any warning!"

"Oh so it's my fault that you couldn't stop yourself from coping a feel!?" Happy asked. "LILY, PREPARE TO DIE!"

"Would you quit acting like a child and focus on the mission at hand!? Besides, it's not even a big deal!"

"It might not be a big deal to you, but it is to me! I challenge you to a duel!"

"WOULD YOU KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!?" Carla asked. "What made you stop in the first place, Happy? Did you see something?"

"Oh! Yah, I did! Do either of you... know what that thing is?" Happy asked. Carla and Lily looked and gasped. "It's alive..."

"So, you found it?"

Happy, Carla and Lily all shrieked, but noticed that it was the little cloaked Exceed from before.

"I-It's you..." Happy stated the obvious. She giggled again.

"You are one creepy little girl..." Carla mumbled.

"I take pride in it. Good job, Fairy Tail. Now for the real question: Can you stop it?"

"This thing..." Happy trailed off.

"It doesn't look like a power source to me." Carla said.

"" _Grimoire Heart_ "... The devil's heart... Don't tell me..." Lily trailed off.

"By the way, are you jut gonna sit there?" Carla asked.

"If you think I'm creepy, you have a long way to go." The little Exceed ignored Carla's question.

"I heard voices from inside!"  
"What?! How did they get in this room?!"

Happy jumped in fear.

"They've found us!" Carla exclaimed.

"Perhaps, you were too loud?" The little Exceed asked.

"You can just shut it!" Lily snapped at her. "I'll hold them off! You 2 find a way to stop that thing, since Giggles won't help us!"

"Would you like me to help you?" "Giggles" asked.

"WHATEVER!" Lily snapped at her again. The little Exceed giggled some more, then got up and followed Lily.

"Good luck, Carla, Happy." She said.

Lily was already standing in front of the troops, and was soon joined by the small Exceed.

"What's with these puny cats?"  
"Watch me step the life out of them."

Lily threw the door handle that he had accidentally broke earlier at them, and like a boomerang it came back to him after hitting plenty of them in the face. As a sword was swung at him, he blocked it a pushed it away with the door handle.

"This guy packs a punch!"  
"Try the little one!"

Lily grew into his battle form and punched the 2 guys away. The small Exceed clapped.

"Well done. As expected, though. After all, you are Pantherlily, an Exceed that used to work for the kingdom of Edolas as the Magic Militia's First Division Commander of the Royal Army. You are member of the Fairy Tail Guild, and you're Gajeel Redfox's companion." She layed out the facts. "Right?"

"Don't go spouting facts about me while standing around, clapping and doing nothing! How about you attack some of them!?" Lily asked.

"The poor souls... but, you've insisted, although you could've used some manners." She said, walking forward. Without hesitation, a bunch of the guards charged at her.  
" _ **Feitomajikku: Kizutsukeru to toppa**_."

The guards went flying as a gray magic hit them, injuring them.

"Look, Lily. I did it." The small Exceed said. "Your turn." Lily had nothing to say, but nonetheless, he rushed into battle again.

* * *

The guards were freaking out, but Lily grinned. The small little Exceed smiled and giggled a the outcome. Happy and Carla had managed to break the power source.

'Fairy Tail... huh? Congratulations.'

Lily turned around to ask the small Exceed a question, but she was no longer there.

"Giggles is gone!"

"EH?!"

* * *

"It's over..." Gray said.

"Yah..." Erza agreed.

"It's about time! I miss my bed!" Akina complained.

"Quiet down." Ethan said.

"You're just lying on the ground..." Dan mumbled.

"Are you okay?" Phil asked.

"Shh." Adam said, smiling down at Ethan.

"It's the air, it's cleared. The breeze feels nice. Right?" Charles asked. Ethan nodded.

"We won, didn't we?" Wendy asked.

"WE WON! HELL YAH, THAT SUNSHINE FEELS AMAZING!" Chilled yelled, stretching as the sun rose in the sky.

"Here, your muffler." Lucy said.

"Thanks." Natsu said.

"Guys!"

"Save me, Natsu!"

They turned to see Happy, Carla and Lily running their way. Behind them was a large group of Grimoire Hearts troops.

"This is bad..." Gray said.

"Damn it, our magic power is absolute zero." Erza said.

"Sorry, my magic power, too..." Lily said.

"They're all really pissed off..." Happy pointed out the obvious.

"Where the hell is Giggles when you need her!?" Lily asked.

"We may have no magic power, but there shouldn't be any need to call that creepy child!" Carla yelled.

A footstep halted the troops and caught the attention of the group.

"Hold it right there!"

The group from the camp, even the injured, stood there defensively.

"Gramps!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Everyone..." Lucy trailed off.

"Master and Gajeel-san, too!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Good to see you're alright!" Gray said. Ethan made eye contact with Fate, who smile at him with an ear-to-ear grin, causing him to smile.

The Grimoire heart troops ran, escaping their sight.

"They won't be back." Hotaru stated. Namine giggled. Happy, Carla and Lily covered their ears.

"I've had enough giggling..." They all mumbled.

Everyone threw themselves into a ruckus, cheering over their victory.

"You should've seen it!" Destiny stated proudly.

"They... what...?" Akina asked. Ruri and Fate fiddled with their clothes, ignoring the gazes upon them.

"Ruri casted these super powerful spells! She beat up that man, Kurai Adachi I think his name was, and then he went to attack her and I! But, Fate cancelled out his magic and then supported Ruri as she landed a final attack! It was amazing! Kurai was knocked out cold!" Destiny explained.

"I'll explain later, what exactly it is. But, right now, we should all head back to camp." Fate said.

"I agree with pipsqueak. You could all you some rest." Rory said.

* * *

"So was what we destroyed really Hades' heart?" Happy asked.

"Coincidence or not, we did a good job." Carla replied.

"That thign was most likely the power source of that ship, too. All things considered, it seems like the first mission of our Exceed Team was a success." Lily said.

"I guess we owe that to giggles, partially, no?" Carla asked. Lily sighed.

"I guess." Lily replied.

"You were really cute wearing Destiny's shirt and Ethan's jacket, but now... You're so adorable~!" Renee squealed.

"It's a nice outfit." Zoe agreed.

Fate fiddled with the end of her skirt. Destiny had insisted that she changed so she could give back Ethan's jacket, and now she kind of regretted it.

"Th-This is always my back-up outfit... but, since my dress is ripped and stained I guess it's my main now..." Fate mumbled. She was wearing a black tank top that was just a little bit big on her, a black skirt that reached just past her knees and black cropped leggings. She still had the bandages and the bandage pad, and she didn't want to get rid of her dark blue bow that sat near the end of her tail

"Looks good, partner. And now that you have that thing, whatever it is, you're stronger, too." Ethan said.

"Oh, it's called "Fate magic". It's pretty complexed, but I'll get the hang of it soon, I hope." Fate said.

"You will. It fits you, after all." Ethan re-assured her.

""Fate magic"?" Lily asked, having over-heard the conversation. Fate nodded. "Weird.."

"Huh? What is?" Namine asked.

"I think that was the same magic that Giggles was using..." Lily replied.

"Who the heck is Giggles?" Rory asked.

"Oh, it's not her actually name. We're just calling her that. She may have helped us, but she giggled a lot. She was a creepy little Exceed, no doubt about it." Lily replied.

"Okaayyyy. Welp, no point in going over it. We won, that's what matters." Akina said.

"Fate, your outfit is missing 2 things." Destiny stated.

"Eh? I-It is? Wh-What did I miss?" Fate asked. He grabbed something out of his bag and ran over to her, handing it to her. It was a red and black checkered flannel shirt with a hood. Fate looked up at him, and he was smiling. She smiled and threw it on, buttoning up the front.

"That's one thing. Hold still." Destiny said. Fate did as she was told while Destiny went behind her. She glanced back, however, and saw that he was attaching something to the bow on her tail. When he backed away, he held his arms up. "Ta-da!" Fate moved her tail and heard a small jingle, then she saw that he had attached 2 gold bells to the bow. "This way, the next time you get lost, we'll find you because we'll hear your bells."

"What about enemy territory?" Minx asked with interest.

"I never said they were normal. They're magic. Only those who Fate views as friends can hear them." Destiny explained.

"When did you get them? I don't remember you saying anything about them." Akina said.

"Whenever you go out on your own, Namine and I always have extra time. I only got them a little while ago anyway, so don't freak." Destiny replied.

"A-Are you sure I can keep these? I mean, it's one of your flannel shirts, and these bells sound really cool..." Fate mumbled.

"I got them for you in the first place. The bells, I mean. And I have plenty other flannels and shirts, so you can keep the flannel shirt and the shirt I lent to you." Destiny replied.

"Th-Thank you..." Fate said. Destiny nodded.

"Just don't lose them, and we're even." Destiny said. Fate smiled and nodded.

"Wendy, shall we switch?" Erza asked. She caught everyone's attention, and she was in a nurse's outfit.

"E-Erza-san, is that a nurse's uniform?" Wendy asked.

"You don't have any healing powers, do you?" Carla asked.

"The difference in ability hardly matters when it comes to battle, Wendy. The only thing that's being tested is your will." Erza said.

"Is this a battle?" Wendy asked.

"Hey, you're scaring Wendy!" Carla said.

"E-Erza... you take everything seriously, don't you...?" Charles asked. Erza gleamed proudly, causing him to sigh. Then, Wendy moved and Erza sat on the box where she had been.

"Come on, be honest with me. Tell me where it hurts. I think we should start by taking your temperature, or would you prefer an injection?" Erza asked.

"Geez, and here I was wondering what she was going to do..." Gray said.

"That's crazy." Gajeel said. Natsu nodded. Though, Gray, Gajeel, Natsu, Bickslow, Elfman, Makarov, Gildarts and Laxus were all now in a line.

"Men!" Carla yelled. Wendy was moping.

"W-Well..." Levy trailed off.

"This is a good opportunity to get some rest." Ruri said.

"Yah, don't worry." Fate said.

" I suppose it must be the difference in our chest sizes..." Wendy mumbled. Levy, Ruri and Fate crossed their arms over the chests.

"Winding on bandages is a surprisingly tough job." Erza said. Gray and Gajeel were being bandaged together and squished into the ground.

"E-Erza, you'll kill them at that rate..." Cathy said. Adam, however, was laughing.

"P-Poor souls..." Chilled mumbled.

"I think it was almost a thousand years since the battle with Grimoire Heart ended." Rory said, smiling a little.

"Well... that's what make us Fairy Tail." Destiny said.


	20. Let go home, together!

"Everyone, listen up. I have an important announcement to make. Starting from the day we get back to the guild from Tenrou Island..." Makarov started. "All the girls must uniforms! I limit it to nurse uniforms or swim wear!"

"What are you talking about!?" Lucy asked.

"I see, that's something to look forward to." Erza said.

"Don't go along with it! You're supposed to get angry here!" Lucy stated.

"Master, be serious here." Mira said sternly.

"Sorry, got a little carried away..." Makarov said. He cleared his throat.

* * *

"What did you say?!"

"I told you. We're suspending the S-rank mage promotion exam this time!" Makarov replied.

"I don't understand at all, Gramps!" Gray yelled.

"Why are you suspending it!?" Natsu asked.

"I want to become S-rank!" Gajeel yelled.

"Levy was the nominated candidate, not you!" Elfman reminded him.

"It can't be helped... considering all the things that have happened..." Makarov said.

"Among the candidates, there were Council members who snuck in... Grimoire Heart was interfering, too." Mirajane said.

"Then there was that damned Exceed who hurt Fate. If anything is _better_ , it's that he's with the Seekers of Nothing." Ethan said, sarcasticness dripping from his tone. Fate looked at Destiny, who smiled a little at her while rubbing his arm sheepishly. She smiled back as to thank him for not spilling Aaron's name.

"Hey, Giggles was wearing a hood so we wouldn't see her face. Do you think she's with them?" Happy asked.

"Despite how creepy she was, she didn't interfere." Carla replied.

"That's right. She's helped us." Lily said.

"The Seekers of Nothing would've interfered and if anything, struck you down." Akina said. "But, didn't we run into Giggles or was that a different one...?"

"I don't know..." Namine replied. They all sighed, some groaned.

"I guess we really don't have a choice this time..." Levy said.

"I'm okay with it, there's always next year, right?" Charles asked. Chilled nodded.

Natsu started freaking out, which caused him to run into a battle that he instantly lost against Makarov, causing everyone to sigh at his predictable actions.

* * *

Ethan and Fate looked at the sky.

"What is it, idiot?" Akina asked.

"Pipsqueak's looking at the sky again..." Rory complained.

"I heard something." Fate said.

"The air smells terrible." Ethan said. Akina sniffed the air and her eyes widened.

"That's... I've smelt that somewhere before but, it's not exact." Akina said.

"But, what...?" Ethan asked. Fate sighed.

Suddenly, the island shook with a loud noise.

"What the hell!?" Akina asked.

"The cry of a dragon..." Wendy trailed off.

"A dragon!?" Lisanna asked. Ethan stood up.

"There's no doubt about it, this smell... it's dragon scales, but it's... it's not Terra for sure." Ethan said.

The roar sounded again before Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Gildarts and Cana returned to camp.

"Hey, look up! Something's coming!" Lily yelled. They all looked up and Natsu was the first to realize what is was.

"What is that!?" Gray asked. It came into clear view.

"A dragon!?" Bickslow asked.

"The black dragon of the apocalypse... Could it be Acnologia?" Makarov asked. Natsu started yelling at the dragon.

"You there! You must know where Igneel is, don't you!? And Grandeeney, Metalicana, Hikari, Terra, Mizu and Amizuchi, too!" Natsu yelled.

"Knock it off, Natsu! Don't provoke him. I told you before how my arm, no, my entire body became like this." Gildarts said.

"It's coming down!" Freed yelled. Everyone braced themselves as Acnologia landed. Fate, however, lost her footing and was about to go flying before Rory grabbed her and pulled her down.

"R-Rory..." Fate trailed off.

"This dragon isn't like the one you met. It's stronger, and more dark. Do me a favor, and don't go spouting anything from that mouth of yours. I wouldn't be able to help myself if you died, Fate." Rory said. Fate's cheeks went pink, because that was the first time Rory had called her by her name, or even said her name.

"This is bad! All of you, get out of here!" Gildarts yelled. The dragon roared and the ground underneath it broke, and everyone covered themselves again. When Fate opened her eyes, she realized that the whole forest was gone.

"That dragon... Acnologia... did this...?" Fate asked.

"Everyone's still alive, right!? We have no time to waste being afraid! We're getting the hell off this island now!" Gildarts yelled. "He's coming back! Hurry to the ship!"

"Run! We're all going back to Fairy Tail together!" Erza yelled. No one hesitated, and they all ran. But they had to stop when Acnologia got ahead of them.

"Acnologia... it's nothing like any of the dragons..." Chilled said.

"This is ridiculous!" Minx yelled.

"A-And scary..." Hotaru whined, clinging to one of Charles' arms.

"Wh-What do we do?" Ruri asked.

"Th-There is... nothing was can do... not against a dragon..." Rory replied.

"B-But..." Destiny trailed off.

"Acnologia..." Fate whimpered, tears escaping her eyes as she watched everyone getting beaten up all over again. "It's nothing... nothing like Terra..." Destiny grabbed her shoulder, though he had nothing to say.

"Run to the ship!" Makarov yelled, growing in size. He grabbed Acnologia and forced the dragon to stay in it's place. "RUN!" Everyone was yelling protests at him. "You plan on even disobeying your master's final orders, you shitty brats!?"

"Did he say final...?" Mira asked.

"I'm a Dragon Slayer!" Natsu yelled.

"If anyone's gonna be that thing's opponent, it's gonna be us Dragon Slayers!" Ethan yelled. Suddenly, Natsu and Ethan were grabbed by the collars of their shirts and dragged away by Laxus.

"We're getting out of here!" Laxus yelled.

"Laxus, you...!" Natsu stopped his sentence. Everyone could only follow him. Fate's legs were shaking underneath her and she was unable to move.

"Fate... come on..." Destiny said. She could see from the corner of her eyes that he was ready to cry, even though she was already sobbing.

"My family... all died, you know that don't you...?" Fate asked. Destiny flinched, but nodded. "Fairy Tail... is my family now... I didn't want to lose any of you..."

"HEY, COME ON!" Akina yelled at them. Destiny grabbed Fate's arm and started running, forcing her legs to move and follow him even if he was practically dragging her.

'I don't...'

* * *

 _What is this empty feeling... I don't understand it... I've never felt it before, so all of the sudden it just feels like... like my heart is breaking. Exploding. Shattering. Like it's dropping, and I can't breathe... even when I really am._

 _What is this empty feeling?_

 _Sadness?_  
 _Anger?_  
 _Wanting revenge, or wanting to avenge perhaps?_

 _No... this is..._

* * *

"Give our old man back!" Natsu yelled as he gripped onto Acnologia.

"Charge!" Erza ordered, and everyone rushed at Acnologia.

* * *

 _This is fear. This is regret._

 _The fear that something right was wrong,_  
 _the regret that something wrong was right._

 _This gives us something more powerful._

 _Bravery...?_  
 _No._

 _Courage._

* * *

"All of you! Muster up everything you've got! Combine it with my lightning, we're gonna give this thing our compliments!" Laxus yelled. "Let's show him what Fairy Tail is made of!"  
" _ **Raging Bolt**_!"

" _ **Tenrin Blumenbatt**_!" Erza attacked.

" _ **Super Freeze Arrow**_!" Gray attacked.

" _ **Water Nebula**_!" Juvia attacked.

" _ **Solid Script: Fire**_!" Levy attacked.

"Sagittarius, now!" Lucy ordered. Sagittarius fired a bunch of arrows.

" _ **Evil Explosion**_!" Mirajane attacked. The Raijinshuu followed with their own attacks.

"Don't you dare leave us out!" Ethan yelled.  
" _ **Roar of the Earth Dragon**_!"

" _ **Roar of the Light Dragon**_!" Akina and Namine attacked.

" _ **Roar of the Fire Dragon**_!" Adam attacked.

" _ **Roar of the Sky Dragon**_!" Jordan attacked

" _ **Roar of the Water Dragon**_!" Cathy, Dan and Phil attacked.

" _ **Roar of the Elemental Dragon**_!" Minx and Chilled attacked.

" _ **Majikkumaindo: Fukugō atakku**_!" Charles and Hotaru attacked.

" _ **Poizunmajikku: Hakai**_!" Renee attacked.

" _ **U~ōtāmajikku: Hakai**_!" Max attacked.

" _ **Hakai mahō: Kumiawase to atakku**_!" Ruri attacked.

" _ **Keisan majikku: Jūyō! Chimei-teki! Shōmen kara**_!" Rory attacked.

" _ **Enjerumajikku: Furupawā**_!" Destiny attacked.

'I will not be left out! I don't care if I exhaust my magic! Please!' Fate thought.  
" _ **Feitomajikku: Himitsu no geijutsu: Kuritikaru hakai**_!"

All of their attacks combined and Happy grabbed Natsu off of Acnologia and flew out of the way. Natsu joined Wendy and Gajeel in the air.

" _ **Roar of the Iron Dragon**_!" Gajeel attacked.

" _ **Roar of the Sky Dragon**_!" Wendy attacked.

" _ **Roar of the Fire Dragon**_!" Natsu attacked

The attack from the 3 Dragon Slayers hit Acnologia and it went flying back into one of the cliffs.

"Did we win?"

"No!" Gildarts replied. "It's not using the power it's used when fighting me! It's just playing with you!"

All of the sudden, the ground broke and everyone went flying, while Acnologia was flying above them. Everyone was shocked and scared, and Acnologia got ready to basically blow the island away with a breath attack.

"Do we really have no choice? Are we all gonna die here?" Lucy asked. Fate fel to her knees.

"E-Even... if I used all my power just now..." Fate mumbled. Destiny, Rory and Ruri turned to her. "Even if... we all have to die here... I don't want to give up!"

"F-Fate..." Destiny mumbled.

"There's a lot of things that make no sense! There's... There's so many things that happen to someone when they don't deserve it! There's always a ray of hope somewhere, right!? Right...?" Fate asked. Destiny reached out his hand for her and she froze, then she looked up at him and his grin that was once again on his face.

"We are Fairy Tail. We'll beat any enemy, then we'll go home." Destiny said. Fate stared at him. "Let's go home together, Fate." Fate nodded and grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up.

Everyone joined hands, and Fate was between Destiny and Ethan.

'We will never give up! Not ever...'

"Let's go home together, everyone..." Makarov said.

"To Fairy Tail!" They all yelled together.


	21. We're Home!

_x791, Port Hargeon. 7 years have passed since "Team Tenrou" disappeared without a trace from Tenroujima Island._

"How long are you gonna stare at the sea?" Bisca asked.

"Our work is finished, so let's get back to the guild." Alzack said. "If you aren't back soon, your dad will worry."

"Macao asked us to take care of you, Romeo." Bisca said.

Romeo continued to stare at the sea.

"Natsu-nii..." He muttered.

* * *

 _This is Magnolia. It hasn't changed in the past 7 years and is as thriving as ever. And standing quietly on a hillside far from the heart of the city..._

"Romeo isn't home yet!? I bet Al and Bisca ditched him and went off to snuggle!" Macao yelled.

"Ah, pipe down. Yo're too old for these outbursts, so take it easy, Macao." Wakaba said.

"I told you to call me Master, Wakaba!"

"I've never seen a master with less dignity than you! 4th Guild Master, my ass!"

"You do realize you're supposed to be the master's advisor!?"

"At any rate..." Max Alors started. "Have we been losing members again?"

"I can't be helped, Max. They don't give the good jobs to a minor guild like ours." Warren said.

"Warren, just look at how few jobs there are!" Nab said.

"It's got nothing to do with you. You haven't been out on a job in 7 years, Nab!" Warren said.

"Look at this! Vijeeter Ecor has completed his new dance! I call it the Puny Dance!" Vijeeter Ecor stated.

"It disgusts me, so get him out of here." Max A. said.

"Kinana-chan, bring me another on of these!" Droy said, holding up a turkey leg.

"Sure!" Kinana replied.

"Hey, Droy, are you putting more stress on the ground these days?" Laki asked.

"You trying to say I got fatter, wench!?" Droy asked.

"Don't take it out on Laki. And don't you have any self-awareness?" Jet asked. "Look at Reedus! See how slim he's gotten?"

"Qui. This is my true form." Reedus said.

"I've been training! Can't you tell from these muscles!?" Droy asked.

"And see how ladylike Kinana has become." Jet said. "Compared to her, you're..."

"Shut up! I'm trying to increase my magic power by eating!" Droy stated.

"Both of you, cut it out!" Laki ordered.

"Jeez. What would Levy say is she could see you now?" Jet asked.

"Levy's not coming home!"

It only took a moment for what Droy said to settle, and everyone froze.

"Well, well..."

They all looked up to see a group of 5 men standing at the door.

"As always, this place is dead from the afternoon on... That's what I hate about pissant guilds!"

"Teebo..." Macao approached him, Wakaba not far behind. "I told you to stay away from here!"

"Hey, hey. Is that any way to talk to us... Members of Magnolia's number one wizard guild, Twilight Ogre?" Teebo asked. "You may once have been the strongest guild in Fiore, but that era is over. Between this ramshackle old tavern and Twilight Ogre, the wizard guild of the new age, on glance is all it takes to tell which is more useful to the development and progress of Magnolia."

"Acting big just because you've got huge guild..." Max A. said.

"That's right! We've got soul!" Warren said.

"Soul doesn't put food on the plate." Teebo said.

"What'd you come here for, Teebo!?" Macao asked.

"This month's money!" Teebo replied.

"You didn't pay them yet, Macao?" Wakaba asked.

"Call me Master, damn it!" Macao yelled at him.

"You people are late repaying your debt." Teebo said.

"We didn't get any decent jobs this month! I'll pay you double next month, so just be patient!" Macao said.

"Whoa, whoa. Who was it that saved this beat-up tavern when it was on the brink of collapse?" One of the men asked.

"We took on your debt for you, remember?" Another asked.

"And if we knew how ridiculously high the interest was gonna be, we never would've turned to you..." Jet said.

"Did you say something, asswipe!?" One of the men asked.

"Enough, Jet!" Macao said. "Wait 'til next month, and I promise I'll pay!"

There was a silent moment before Macao was suddenly kicked to the ground.

"Macao!"

"Master!"

"Bastards!"

"How dare you!?"

"Don't do anything!" Macao ordered. Everyone froze, and didn't move. The members of Twilight Ogre shouted insults at them and tore up their guild.

"What a pain."

They all froze, both sides and turned to see a man and a little girl, who looked about 14.  
The man has long dark brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail, his sepia brown eyes obviously not amused. He wore a white t-shirt, a pair of black jeans and a pair black running shoe, with a chain necklace hanging from around his neck and a couple of bracelets around both of his wrists.  
The little girl had dark brown hair that was pulled into twin braids and hazel eyes, that were also not amused. She also wore a white t-shirt, but she wore a dark blue hoodie around her waist and black leggings, followed by a pair of black combat boots. She also wore a couple of bracelets on both of her wrists.

"Well, that was good for a laugh. Let's go." Teebo said, leading his group out of the guild.

* * *

Everyone was sitting around Twilight Ogre barged in.

"I don't get why we don't kick their asses already." The little girl said.

"Because, Miharu, it won't cause much good." The man stated.

"Ryeluen, we're gonna run out of jobs and then what? Fairy Tail fades off? We joined this guild 7 years ago, I'm not gonna let it be thrown out the window." Miharu said.

"None of us will. But violence can't be our answer here. Not right now." Ryeluen said. They both sighed.

Suddenly, a book fell off of a shelf. It was Reedus' sketchbook, and it contained lots of old sketches of the Fairy Tail members that disappeared 7 years ago.  
Makarov,  
Natsu,  
Mirajane,  
Team Natsu, with Juvia lurking in the background,  
Gajeel, Lily, Wendy and Carla,  
Gray,  
Jet, Droy and Levy,  
Cana, Elfman, Mirajane and Lisanna,  
The Raijinshuu,  
Ethan, Fate, Akina, Destiny, Namine, Chilled, Minx, Adam, Rory, Cathy, Ruri, Jordan, Dan, Phil, Charles, Hotaru, Max G., Malcolm, Renee and Zoe,  
And the Tenrou Team, along with a few of the others that were still around.

Everyone had spilled tears by then, sobbing audible in the air.

"It's been 7 years, huh?" Wakaba asked.

"That long?"

Laxus and Gildarts were among the pictures.

"I'm feelin' nostalgic..." Max A. said.

"Everything's changed since then." Warren said.

"When we heard that Tenroujima was destroyed, we searched for everyone desperately, didn't we? But we didn't find even one of them..." Jet said.

"If what the Council said is true, Acnologia vaporized the whole island." Nab said.

"Various groups helped us search for them, but not a single clue was found." Reedus said.

"Of course not... An abnormal amount of Ethernano was found in the sea the day everyone disappeared. A level that no living thing could survive, let alone retain their structure..." Jet said.

"Acnologia's roar is that powerful?!" Nab cried.

"After all, that's the dragon said to have destroyed an entire country by itself long ago!" Warren said.

"Why did our comrades have to..." Droy trailed off.

"Our guild's weakened since they disappeared... our only strong members are you, Miharu and Ryeluen." Max A. said.

"We're not strong caused we asked to be." Ryeluen reminded him.

"Meanwhile, a new guild has been established in Magnolia." Max A. said.

"Maybe it's time to close up shop..." Wakaba suggested.

"Don't talk like that!" Laki yelled.

"What's wrong, Macao?" Ryeluen asked, just sensing his despair.

"I think... I think my heart is gonna break." Macao replied.

"You've been doing a good job... Master." Wakaba said.

"Ever since then... Romeo hasn't smiled once." Macao said.

Suddenly, the guild started shaking.

"What happening!?" Laki asked.

"What is that!?" Droy asked.

"Has Ogre come back to harass us some more?" Jet asked.

* * *

They all ran outside and looked in the sky.

"Th-That's...!" Vijeeter didn't finish his sentence.

"Blue Pegasus'... Christina Ver. 2!?" Warren asked.

Someone jumped off of the airship and crashed into the ground.

"He fell?!"

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." The person said. "Your Ichiya has arrived..."

"Who are these people...?" Miharu asked as 3 more floated down from the sky.

"Blue Pegasus members. I think." Ryeluen replied.

"I-I don't understand who they are, but they just hit on Laki and Kinana..." Miharu muttered, hiding behind Ryeluen slightly. Ryeluen sighed.

"Tenroujima... still exists!"

That's what caught their attention.

* * *

On a boat in the middle of the ocean, Bisca, Alzack, Warren, Max A., Jet, Droy, Ryeluen and Miharu were sailing together.

"Tenroujima... it's the resting place of the first master, right?" Miharu asked. Ryeluen nodded. "But, why are we going along?"

"I need to see for myself. If everyone is still alive, there is a person I want to see, and a few people I want to meet." Ryeluen replied. Miharu sighed.

"Honestly, who?" Miharu asked.

"Hopefully, you'll see." Ryeluen replied.

"What is that?" Max A. asked. They joined the group where they were standing and peered out.

"A person?" Jet asked.

"I don't believe it..." Warren said. "She's standing on the ocean!"

"Female Jesus?" Miharu asked.

"Don't joke around." Ryeluen said sternly.

"I'm sorry." Miharu apologized.

"Who is it?" Jet asked.

She opened her eyes and raised her hands, rocking the boat with strong waves. Behind her, rising out of the water, was Tenroujima.

"T-Tenroujima!?" Miharu asked.

"It has to be..." Ryeluen replied.

The girl turned around and walked off to the island.

"Follow her! Quick!"

* * *

"Jet!"

"What is it!?"

"Where's the girl!?"

"What are you just standing there for?"

Everyone stopped where Jet had and they all froze, staring down at someone piled under some rubble.

'Natsu Dragneel...' Ryeluen thought.

* * *

"Romeo. Are you sure you didn't want to go?" Macao asked.

"Even if they do find Tenroujima... who knows if everyone is still alive?" Romeo asked.

"Don't be like that! You need to have faith!" Macao said.

"We haven't heard from them in 7 years." Romeo said.

"Well, well... Looks like there are even less people in here than usual."

They looked up to see Teebo and the other regular 4 men entering their guild.

"This isn't a guild so much as a, what? A club?" Teebo asked.

"Teebo! We greed that I'd pay you next month!" Macao said.

"My master doesn't agree with those terms. He said payments have to be made when they're due. Nothing I can do about it." Teebo said.

Romeo stood up and closed his book.

"You can all go to hell." Romeo said.

"Romeo, don't!" Macao ordered. Romeo didn't listen.

"We don't have the money to pay you!" Romeo said.

"I don't like your attitude, you little brat." Teebo said.

"Letting punks like you walk all over us... My dad and everyone else are cowards!" Romeo said. "I'm gonna fight! 'Cause at this rate, Fairy Tail's name will be disgraced!"

"That name's been dragged through the mud long ago... You assholes will never make it back up to our level as long as you live!" Teebo yelled.

All of the sudden, he was kicked from behind and sent flying.  
One of the other men was frozen,  
Another hit by a pole of iron,  
Another hit by a sword,  
And the last one crushed by a giant hand.

When the smoke cleared, there stood a group of people, brought back by their group that had gone out. Team Tenrou.

"We're home!" Natsu called out.

"Sorry it took us so long, everyone!" Happy apologized.

"What is this tiny guild!?" Makarov asked.

"You're all so young!"  
"You haven't changed in the past 7 years!"  
"What happened!?"

"Um..." Lucy started.

* * *

 _"Natsu! Wake up! Come on!"_

 _"Open your eyes, you bastard!"_

 _Natsu sat up._

 _"Shut up!" He yelled. The next moment, he was tackle-hugged by everyone. "What the hell is goin' on!? What are you guys doin' here? And have you aged some!?"_

 _"You haven't changed one bit!"_

 _"Droy, you got fa..." Natsu trailed off. "Wait! Who are you 2!?"_

 _"Miharu Sakurako." Miharu replied._

 _"Ryeluen." Ryeluen replied._

 _Bisca and Alzack heard something and turned around, seeing Happy._

 _"Huh? Is it morning already? Where's my fish?" Happy asked._

 _"Happy!" Bisca and Alzack yelled together._

 _"Wait a second! We just got hit by Acnologia's attack and, uh..."Natsu froze. "Where's everyone else!?"_

 _"Over here."_

 _They all looked up to see the girl from before._

 _"Who...?" Natsu and Happy asked._

 _"My name is Mavis. The first master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermilion." She replied._

* * *

 _Mavis led them to everyone else, who woke up from a sleeping state._

 _"At the time, I took the bond between you and the faith you have in one another, and converted it all to magic power. Your feelings activated Fairy Sphere, one of the Three Great Fairy Magics. It's Absolute Defense magic that protects the guild against all evil. However, everyone was sealed away in a frozen state... and it took 7 years to be dispelled." Mavis explained._

 _"Of all things... The founder protected us..." Makarov said._

 _"No. I'm an astral body. And it wasn't only you. I don't know how many other presences, but you've seemed to have saved some others, although they are already gone." Mavis said. "It was all I could do to transform everyone's power into magic. Unwavering faith and a strong bond between you will even win a miracle over to your side. Fairy Tail had become a fine guild, hasn't it, 3rd Master?"_

* * *

"And then she was gone..." Makarov explained.

Natsu noticed Romeo staring up at him.

"You've gotten big, huh, Romeo?" Natsu asked. Tears brimmed Romeo's eyes before they started falling.

Romeo then looked up after hiding his tears. The tears were still falling, but for the first time in 7 years, there was a smile on his face.

"Welcome back, Natsu-nii... Everyone..."


	22. 7 Year Gap, Small Story, Live Together

"7 years, huh...?" Ethan asked. "Terra could be anywhere now."

"Don't feel down. We'll pick up the search where we left off... wherever that was." Namine said.

"He could be on the outskirts of Magnolia, you never know." Hotaru said.

"Keep your chin up, Ethan." Chilled said.

"Fate, you haven't said anything." Destiny pointed out. Fate looked up.

"Hey, I'm allowed to be bummed. You're not." Ethan joked. Fate didn't reply. "What's wrong?"

"Mavis said something about other presences on Tenroujima. I've just been thinking who else could've been there. I used my magic to scan the island, involuntarily and now I know I can do that, but still. I found nothing within the area." Fate explained.

"If anything, you're getting super strong with your whole magic thing. I don't want to doubt our first master, but maybe Mavis made a mistake and counted some other "life forces"." Akina said. Fate frowned, like she was thinking about it.

"If anything, it's hurting my head." Fate complained.

"Don't over-think things, pipsqueak." Rory said. Fate sighed. There he went again...

* * *

Lamia Scale had joined in their homecoming, celebrating that they all had returned. Lyon had thrown Juvia into a love triangle, and Gray didn't seem too happy about it. It was back the way it was. Everyone was loud and happy, almost as if nothing had happened.

* * *

 _For us, about a week passed, but for those who had stayed in Magnolia, 7 long years had gone by. A hard, lonely 7 years..._  
 _When I think about how everyone was waiting for us all this time... it makes me sad._

* * *

"7-7 years worth of rent!?" Ethan and Akina asked. Everyone was sulking.

"5, 880, 000 jewel..." Fate and Rory mumbled.

"N-Not to mention, the guild is in financial straits, too..." Destiny mumbled.

"W-We don't even have any money..." Ruri mumbled.

"We're all in the same boat here, but... that number hurts to think about..." Namine sobbed. Charles had his head down on the table.

"980, 000 each from us..." Akina sighed. Ethan groaned.

"Dammit!"

"S-Some... number..." Chilled could've sworn everything was spinning.

"T-This is ridiculous..." Max G. mumbled. Renee sighed, broken dollar signs running through her mind.

* * *

 _But the 7 years we lost forced a blank reality on us, too._

* * *

Fate looked up as she thought of something.

"What is it, Fate?" Ruri asked.

"17 years... since then..." Fate mumbled in response. Destiny sighed, but neither of them heard. Ruri was confused.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Destiny asked. Fate didn't answer. She kept her hand tightened around his wrist as she lead him along behind her. He sighed, letting her drag him along. When they stopped, he opened his eyes, but they widened at the sight in front of him. 4 homemade graves, with a few flowers lying on each of them. New flowers were growing in, but Destiny only turned to Fate.

"Ethan and I once stopped here, just outside of Magnolia, before we went the other way. Ethan decided that we should make graves, since it was the polite thing to do." Fate explained. "I know that you and Carla forced an explanation out of Ethan. Before we disappeared for 7 years, it had been 10 years... since my family died."

Fate pointed at something and Destiny followed her point, landing on a bunch of growing yellow roses.

"17 years ago... I lived in a village with my family. Exceed villages are probably still scattered around Earthland. My older brother went missing, and after months of searching everyone just gave up and claimed him dead. A little while after, my Mom killed herself, straight in front of my eyes. I had been holding my little sister at the time, and she most likely heard the shot since we were so close, even though she didn't look. My Dad got us out of there, but one morning he disappeared. And soon enough, so did my little sister. That's how I got my Autophobia... I don't like being alone, because something could happen around me and I won't know about it."

Destiny was quiet, until he heard sobbing. Fate was shaking.

"After this stupid 7 year gap, I feel so alone. I'm gaining this strength from this magic that doesn't _feel_ like magic. I didn't even have to learn it, it just... showed up and now I'm able to use it. Wherever I go, disaster seems to follow. I'm so problematic, it's ridiculous. I have 6 fears, I'm sure I have some sort of nightmare disorder... I'm not sure if I hate myself, or if I'm just... scared..."

Everything was silent, except for the small sobs that escaped Fate. All of the sudden, Destiny hugged her from behind.

"We'll figure this out together. All of us, _together_. Fairy Tail is apart of a lot of crises, it's not abnormal to us. Whenever you're scared or down or whatever, you have people to go to. I, for one, am never going to leave you." Destiny said, burying his face into her shoulder. Fate started crying harder, and place her paws over his, which were resting just above her stomach and nodded.

* * *

 _Losing 7 years is huge..._

 _But even so, we're going to live in this world._


	23. Social Dancing, I Love You & A Deal

_**Yah, this is going romance-y.**_  
 _ **Don't like, don't read.**_  
 _ **Favorite, Follow and/or Review at the end if you've enjoyed so far.**_  
 _ **Unless you haven't enjoyed, don't have an account, etc...**_  
 _ ***shrugs***_

* * *

"What's going on?" Ethan asked.

"You've asked that a lot since we joined Fairy Tail." Fate pointed out.

"No, but seriously." Ethan said.

"Lucy and Natsu are going to some "Magical Ball" for a job, and they have to practice dancing." Namine summed up the whole thing.

"Oh. I see. What's "social dancing"?" Ethan asked.

"Even I know that, idiot." Akina said, standing beside him.

"How about you tell me what it is than?" Ethan asked.

"I wanna know, too." Fate said.

"I'll show you. It's easier that way." Akina said, grabbing Ethan's wrist and dragging him into the crowd.

"There they go..." Namine mumbled, the rest of the group joining in with the dancing.

"Namine, I don't have a partner." Minx said. Namine looked up at her, and then smiled, grabbing Minx's hands and joining the group.

* * *

"You think they're dancing right now?" Chilled asked.

"Probably. Or acutally doing their job like they're supposed to." Jordan replied.

"Knowing them, they've destroyed everything by now..." Akina said. Ethan laughed a bit.

"By the way, I'm wondering where Fate and Destiny are..." Namine said.

"They've been running off together a lot lately..." Ruri pointed out.

"I doubt they're doing anything. Fate said she was tired, so maybe Destiny is taking her home." Ethan said.

"You really are an idiot." Akina insulted.

"Maybe you can stop leaning on me then!" Akina was leaning on his right side.

"Not a chance! You're a comfortable idiot!"

* * *

"You didn't have to walk me home." Fate said.

"Autophobia, huh? Doesn't seem to bother you much." Destiny said.

"It does... it's just... I think I'm too tired to care at the moment..." Fate explained. Destiny smiled. Everything was silent before Destiny spoke again.

"Fate?"

"Yah?"

"Can we talk about what happened on Tenroujima?" Destiny asked, stopping in his tracks. Fate stopped not too long after.

"With Aaron? Because... it was his body but... it was like, someone was controlling his mind..." Fate sighed.

"I know but... who? I don't understand what the Seekers of Nothing want from you. You know something they don't, that they need to? That's... it's bullshit." Destiny said.

"Can we... not talk about this?" Fate asked.

"No. I think we need to." Destiny replied.

"I don't want to."

"Why not!? I'm worried! Wh-"

"BECAUSE THEY HURT YOU!"

Destiny was silent.

"It's because... he hurt you. I don't care about what he did to me but... your cheek and your collarbone... you had to lie to the group..." Fate said.

"I-I didn't lie. I just... didn't tell them Aaron's name..." Destiny corrected.

"But... still... If you want my opinion on it, I'll tell you my opinion. You should've let them take me. My whole family is dead, it's only so long before I fo-"

Fate's back was suddenly against a wall, with a pair of hands on her shoulders.

"Do you know how it was for me...? Standing there and watching you get hurt...? Then I... I watched as you unconsciously choke on blood and I tried to stop the bleeding, but I couldn't. I just can't handle that I could've lost you..." Fate's eyes widened.

"Destiny-" Fate was cut off when a pair of lips pressed against hers, ever so gently and then all at once. She wasn't sure how to react at first, but she found herself relaxing into the kiss, although she wasn't really accepting it either. Though when Destiny pulled away, she had to surpress a whimper for whatever reason. She knew she wouldn't be able to shake that feeling off, because her face was heated and her stomach was turning, even her heart was racing. She didn't know this feeling, but it didn't scare her. Destiny backed away from her.

"Everyone says I'm fearless and optimistic. That's only because my only fear is losing you or someone I'm close with, and I never want to think of the negative things that could happen." Destiny explained. He looked up, meeting her eyes. They were still wide, and full of confusion. He sighed softly. "I love you."

* * *

"We're back." Akina said, stepping into her room to see Destiny lying on the bed, looking slightly depressed. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just tired." Destiny lied. 'I'm an idiot, that's what.'

* * *

"Yo! We just got back, feeling okay?" Ethan asked. Fate nodded. She was curled up in a ball on Ethan's bed, knowing that she surely would dream about her stupidity. "No, you're not. Not in that position. What's up?"

"The sky."

"Fate. I'm serious. Tell me what's wrong."

"I just... my stomach hurts, that's all." Fate lied. The only thing that hurt was her chest, and it wasn't her lungs. Love, she wasn't anywhere near an expert on that. She was an amatuer, and now she had probably ruined her relationship with Destiny. For some reason, tears escaped her eyes and she just felt tired. She felt stupid, even as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Fate woke up the next morning still feeling a heaviness in her chest. She rubbed the sleep out her eyes, but didn't sit up. She just wanted to lie there, and she didn't understand why. She still remembered what had happened, and for some reason the feeling of Destiny's lips still lingered on hers.

"Fate?"

She froze upon hearing Destiny's voice. She could feel him getting on the bed behind her.

"Yah?" Her voice nearly cracked. He was silent for a moment.

"Um... Ethan, Akina, Namine and Lucy already headed out to the guild. Ethan said you weren't feeling good and they left me behind to watch over you. I'll leave, if you want..." Destiny said, getting up to go. Without thinking, Fate grabbed his arm and forced him back down, avoiding his gaze. She sat up, finally able to do so without feeling like she was going to shatter.

"You were right. We need to talk. But not about the Seekers of Nothing." Fate said. She surprised herself at how steady and stern her voice was.

"I-I'm sorry about that. I-"

"You shouldn't be. You were expressing your feelings. I don't know... almost anything about love... I mean, this kind of love. In fact, you were my first kiss, and I don't really know anything about kissing either so that's why I didn't kiss back..." Fate explained. "I have this feeling in my gut that's telling me that, most likely, I accept your feelings and I'm willing to return them... but, I... I'm not sure if I'm ready for a relationship... or whatever.

"I should've asked for your consent, not just've dived right in for it. And it's okay if you're not ready for a relationship." Destiny said.

"But, I feel so bad! I feel stupid! I-I just... I don't want... to lose you. Or anyone, in any way."

"How about we agree on something then?"

"Huh?"

"I'll wait, even if I have to wait forever, for an answer from you. Yes or No.  
If you say yes, then that's means we'll be in a relationship.  
If you say no, then that means we won't be in a relationship.  
I don't want you to base it off of my feelings, since I kind of brought it up. I want you to base it off of your feelings, 'cause it won't be sincere if you don't." Destiny explained.

"But... are you sure you'd be okay with waiting?" Fate asked. Destiny nodded, that stupid smile on his face again. Fate bit her bottom lip, a bad habit she had picked up.

"Okay."


	24. Father's Memento?

"She just showed up here..." Ethan said, trying to find an explanation.

"I don't get it." Fate said.

"Neither do we. She just appeared, asking for Lucy..." Namine explained.

* * *

"So what is it?" Lucy asked. Most of this guild that was there was eaves-dropping.

"It's a memento of your father, Jude Heartfilia." Michelle replied. "I helped Unclle Jude for a little while with his work. And I was there when he passed away... He asked me to pass this along to you."

"Father's... last request?" Lucy asked.

"He was always worried about you after you went missing. But he said that he knew you were still alive out there, somewhere, and asked me to find you. He passed away peacefully, as if going to sleep. Ever since that day, I've been searching for you. And now, I've finally met you!" Michelle explained. "With this, I can fulfill Uncle Jude's dying wish!"

"What's inside?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know. All I was told was to give this case to you, so..." Michelle trailed off.

"Open 'er up!" Natsu said. "Why don't you see what's inside? She searched like crazy for you, remember. Why don't you let her see this thing she took all this trouble to deliver?"

"Sure." Lucy replied.

Lucy opened it, and everyone couldn't help but lean over and peer in.

"Um..."

"What the heck?" Natsu asked.

"This wrapping..." Lucy trailed off.

"I think it's got a spell on it. That must be what I smelled earlier." Natsu said.

"Carla?" Wendy asked.

"Is something the matter?" Happy asked.

"No... nevermind..." Carla replied.

When Lucy's took the wrapping off of the memento, Fate's felt shivers up her spine. Something was wrong with it, she could definitely tell.

"I remember!" Michelle exclaimed.

"So, is it a weapon?" Natsu asked.

"No." Michelle replied.

"What is it, then?" Lucy asked.

"I... haven't eaten anything in the past 3 days." Michelle replied.

* * *

"You've been acting weird, pipsqueak." Rory stated.

"Have not..." Fate mumbled.

"Maybe a little. What's wrong?" Ruri asked.

"It's nothing. It's probably just because I didn't sleep a lot last night." Fate replied. Whan they stopped questioning her, she got lost in her thoughts. There was something just... so _weird_ about the memento.

* * *

"By the way, why are you here with us, Fate?" Macao asked.

"That memento... it sent shivers up my spine. And not the good kind." Fate replied.

"At any rate, this is what they found." Laki said. "The Lobster Family really was a wealty plantation family concentrated in the Zentopia Church Parish."

"Guess I was worried over nothing." Macao said. Fate frowned.

"Well, there was the time with Mest... I mean, Doranbalt. But it's still a relief." Carla said.

"Hold up a second. The Lobster family _was_ a wealthy plantation family? Why the past tense?" Wakaba asked.

"That's because a number of years ago there was a terrible incident." Laki replied.

"Oh, you mean that." Macao said.

"Then, Michelle is a survivor?" Carla asked. Fate couldn't kep the frown off of her face. She switched the side that her tail was on, hearing her bells jingle. It brought a slight blush to her face, but it relaxed her.

* * *

Fate jumped as Michelle tripped, dropping the memento. It landed a little bit away from her, since she had been standing close by the eaves-drop their conversation. She jumped and backed away when it strted to float in mid-air, spinning around. It suddenly stood upright in the air, freezing in it's spot. Something started appearing on it, words or maybe a spell.

"No... ancient letters..." Fate mumbled to herself. Levy and Freed were out, so they couldn't decipher what it said. "Hold on." They all turned to her. She looked over the rod. "Those letters make up the word "time"... those letters make "decends"... I can't read anymore..."

"Where did you learn that?" Ethan asked.

"I read a lot of books, remember?" Fate asked.

"Master, can you read it?" Lucy asked and Makarov approached her.

"Lucy. It's better off it you don't get involved in this." Makarov said.

Lucy looked at the rod, flames of determintation burning in her eyes. She woudn't back down from this.


	25. 3 We Know

"I'm exhausted..." Chilled complained.

"Well jobs aren't supposed to be easy." Namine said.

"It did take a whole day, so I guess it's alright to complain." Renee said. Akina stopped in her tracks, causing everyone else to stop.

"What's wrong, Akina?" Ethan asked. Akina sniffed the air.

"Something smells familiar... but... it's different..." Akina replied.

"What do you mean?" Destiny asked.

"It smells like..." Akina trailed off. She pointed up to the Guild. "It's at the Guild, I know that but... it shouldn't be..." They all exchanged looks before they picked up their feet and ran to the Guild.

* * *

"That's it folks! You give up already!?"

The group froze where they stood. Elfman, Mira and Lisanna were lying on the ground injured, along with Macao, Wakaba and Romeo. Natsu looked white sitting on the grass and Laki and Max A. were panting. Wendy, Happy, Lily and Carla were in the air.

"Oh, back-up?" One of the 3 that seemed to have attacked asked. Akina sniffed the air again.

"There's no doubt about it! That's Sugar Boy, Hughes and Coco from Edolas!" Akina said.

"But, why would they...?" Namine asked.

"They're not the people we know from Edolas!" Lily said.

"Then they'rethe Coco, Hughes and Sugar Boy who were already in Earthland!" Carla said. Everyone got in a defensive stance.

"Lucy Heartfilia... If you don't hurry up and identify yourself, we're gonna put more of the hurt on your friends! Unless you want us to keep going on a rampage...?

"Hughes was a guy in Edolas... I wouldn't mind hitting a Female version." Akina said.

"A-Akina, that's all you can think of right now?" Namine asked.

"Why are they after Lucy?" Fate asked.

"Run, Lucy!" Natsu yelled. He sent a fire attack at the 3, but it was sent at Laki and Max A. instead. He sent another one.

"MOVE!" But it was sent towards the group. They all ran out of the way as it hit the ground, causing some of them to lose their footing.

"I'm so done with this!" Akina yelled.  
" _ **Roar of the Light Dragon**_!"

"Dummy!" Hughes insulted. The attack came back at them.

"AKINA!" Minx scolded.

"I'm sorry!" Akina yelled. They all prepared for the attack to hit them, but Fate summoned her wings and cancelled the magic out.

"It won't work! She can control people with that stick!" Fate said. They all got up instantly.

"Thank you for covering us. I should've been more observant." Akina said. Fate only nodded.

"How do we attack them then!?" Renee asked.

"Adam, Cathy, Jordan, Charles, Hotaru, Ryeluen, Miharu, Max, Malcolm and Zoe all went out on a jobs. It's probably gonna take them awhile, for all of them to get back." Rory said.

"We can't attack when she uses Control magic... that's suicidal..." Ruri said.

"What do you want with Lucy!?" Lily asked.

"We don't have to answer you!" Coco replied.

"We'll give you 5 more seconds!" Hughes yelled. A few seconds passed.

"Fine! But stop attacking!" Lucy yelled. She opened her mouth to say something, but never got the chance.

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia." Michelle spoke up, walking past Lucy. Everyone froze.

"Lucy Heartfilia... The daughter of the former owner of the Heartfilia Konzern and Fairy Tail's resident Celestial Spirit wizard... If I'm not mistaken?" Hughes asked.

"No mistake. That is me." Michelle said.

"N-Now that you think of it... Michelle kinda fits the bill more than the real Lucy..." Akina mumbled.

"How mean!" Renee commented.

"But it is true..." Namine admitted.

"Hold on there! I'm Lucy!" Lucy yelled. They fought back and forth before Natsu suddenly yelled an idea.

"Lucy! Back off! I won't let 'em lay a finger on you!" Natsu yelled.

"R-Right! Understood!" Wendy replied.

"You still have some fight in you, don't you, Lucy?" Max A. followed the plan.

"Yeah! Leave it to me!" Laki replied.

"Are you okay, Lucy!?" Macao asked Levy.

"I'll pull through..." Levy replied.

"I don't know which is the real one!" Coco cried.

"Are you healed up, Lucy?" Mira asked Lisanna.

"I'm fine now, Lucy." Lisanna replied.

"Come on, my Hound Dogs!" Sugar Boy went to attack.

"NOT THIS TIME!" Natsu and Ethan yelled. Ethan ran away from the group to get closer.  
" _ **Dazzling Blaze of the Fire Dragon**_!"  
" _ **Roar of the Earth Dragon**_!"

They got caught by 2 "Hound Dogs".

"Lucy! Now!" Natsu yelled.

"ESCAPE, LUCY!" Akina ordered as everyone started attacking the 3 and ditracting them. Lucy and Michelle ran away without another moment to lose.

* * *

" _ **Wing Attack of the Light Dragon**_!"

The attack hit Ethan, who fell.

"I'm sorry! That wasn't me!" Namine apologized.

" _ **Hakai mahō: Kōgeki**_!"

The attack made Rory have to summon his wings to avoid it.

"Ruri, watch it!" Rory yelled.

"I'm sorry, Rory!" Ruri apologized.

" _ **Enjerumajikku: Kuritikaru kōgeki**_!"

The attack went back at Destiny and Fate jumped in front of him, cancelling the magic.

"Don't TRY to get yourself killed." Fate said.

"I'm sorry..." Destiny mumbled.

" _ **Poizunmajikku: Reberu**_!"

Akina, Chilled and Minx barely dodged Renee's attack.

"This is ridiculous!" Minx yelled.

"We can't hit either of them!" Akina complained.

Chilled landed face-first on the ground beside them.

"GET UP!" They both yelled.

* * *

Everyone looked to see Natsu beating himself up.

"RIDICULOUS!" Minx yelled again.

* * *

"Lucy-san! Michelle-san!" Wendy called. Namine looked up at Lily.

"Thank you for offering to carry me." Namine said.

"It's no problem." Lily said.

* * *

"Bastards!" Akina yelled.

"Where are Michelle and Lucy?" Chilled asked.

"We just have to keep searching from the air." Minx replied.

"They used Natsu as a smoke bomb and escaped... I hate to admit it, but they're smart and strong." Ethan said.

"Anyone could use Natsu as a smoke bomb if they did it right." Rory said.

"Don't be mean!" Ruri said.

"Lucy... Michelle... where do you think they are...?" Destiny asked.

"I don't know. We'll just have to keep searching." Fate replied.

"Pain in the ass, they all are!" Akina yelled.

* * *

"Halt!"

"Coco!?" Lily asked. Coco was, indeed, running up the cliff. She suddenly kicked all of them out of the air, sending Wendy and Namine falling.

"Wendy! Namine!" Carla yelled as her and Lily flew after them. They quickly grabbed them and took to the air again without hesitation. Coco seemed to yell scores at herself.

"This is no time to give out scores! It dangerous here!" Lily yelled.

"I lost sight of Lucy Heartfilia. Tell me where she is. Other than that... I hate cats, so please stop acting overly familiar with me." Coco said.

* * *

"Huh?"

"What is it, Ethan?" Fate asked. Ethan closed his eyes, straining his ears.

"I'm not sure much myself but... keep flying, and quick!" Ethan replied.

"Why!?" Akina asked.

"Trust me!" Ethan replied. Fate nodded, quickening her flying pace.

"Fine! Full speed then!" Akina yelled, and they all took off.


	26. Let's Investigate

"What should I do!?" Wendy asked.

"I don't think there's anything we _can_ do when she's moving that fast!" Carla replied. Lily took on his battle form as Namine seemed to be thinking of something.

* * *

 _"What do we do if an enemy is too fast?" A 7 year old Akina asked._

 _"What do you mean? Shouldn't we be worried if they're too strong?" A 6 year old Namine asked._

 _"Indeed, you have to think about strength. But within speed, I can teach you a special move." The 2 little girls turned to look at their Dragon mother, Hikari, once again._

 _"A special move!? Alright! I'm ready to learn!" Akina yelled enthusiastically. Namine took a deep breath._

 _"Me too!" Namine agreed._

* * *

Namine came back to reality just as Lily punched the cliff, missing Coco.

"Lily, what are you doing!?" Carla asked.

'But I never exactly _mastered_ it... can I do it?' Namine thought.

"I'll do something!" Wendy promised.  
" _ **Roar of the Sky Dragon**_!"

That attack missed.

"I missed!"

"That girl's always on the move!" Carla complained.

'Do I even have time to think about it!?' Namine thought.

* * *

"How much further, idiot!?" Akina asked.

"Would you stop calling me that!? And not much further!" Ethan replied.

"Why are we even going this way?" Fate asked.

"I heard something." Ethan replied. All of the sudden, something white wrapped around Ethan's ankle and it pulled him down, and out of Fate's grip. "What the hell!?"

"ETHAN!"

They all dove down after him, avoiding trees even fi he was being pulled through them. He crashed into the ground and instantly sat up, pulling at the thing on his ankle.

'A chain!? It looks like that Chain Magic Hades used!' Ethan thought as he pulled at it, trying to break it.

"Are you okay!?"

He looked up at Fate and nodded.

"Yah, I'm fine. Don't worry, you didn't drop me." Ethan replied. Akina, Minx and Chilled were set down around him. He was about to reference to Akina about the chain when suddenly he was pullled across the ground, losing his hat along the way. He contantly batted tree branches and other nature things out of the way, even if he did run into other ones. He was greatful when he stopped moving. "God dammit, that hurt..." He sat up, pulling at the chain and finally breaking it before he stood up and looked around, dusting himself off. He didn't know where he was, and could only plainly say that it was the middle of the forest.

'Well I'm screwed...'

Ethan saw something in the sky and looked up. It was a green sort of signal, but obviously it couldn't have belonged to Fairy Tail.

"ETHAN!"

He turned to see his group running towards him.

"Look up!" He yelled, looking back to the sky. They all looked up.

"Did they get Lucy!?" Chilled asked.

"Only one way to find out, let's find them!" Minx replied.

"But what about..." Ethan trailed of as he looked down, thinking about the chain. Then he shook his head. "You're right, let's go!"

* * *

"Wh-What did you say!? Legion!?"

"So the ones that attacked us are from Zentopia?" Cana asked.

"Yeah, I'm positive." Gildarts replied.

"Why would Fiore's largest religious organization attack us?" Macao asked.

"I don't know, but he said some crap about a crusade..." Gildarts replied. Natsu slammed his hand against a table.

"Who gives a damn about all that!? Lucy, I swear we'll that memento back for you!" Natsu promised. Lucy nodded.

"Don't be so glum. You were being controlled by magic..." Happy said.

"I'm sorry. It couldn't do anything to help..." Michelle mumbled.

"No, it's not your fault, Michelle. It's because... It's because... I was weak..." Lucy mumbled.

* * *

"The church attacks that happened soon before Zentopia's anniversary event...  
A mysterious clock hand and a sinister line...  
That Legion was after...  
... and some crusade..." Makarov listed out.

"I don't like it." Natsu stated. "I don't like that they made light of Fairy Tail, an' I hope we don't let it just end with our asses gettin' kicked..."

"What happened with the members that were sent in pursuit?" Gray asked.

"According to Warren, all of the teams lost track of them." Erza replied. "But it's not over. It's just begun... I suppose you could say."

"Now you're talkin'! Now we can look forward to gettin' payback!" Natsu said.

"100 times over!" Akina agreed.

"The crusade they mentioned... Legion is trying to accomplish something big... For that, the clock hand was necessary. And the words that were inscribed on it..." Erza trailed off.

"'Time is etched... and then chaos descends'..." Rory mumbled. Fate seemed to be thinking about something.

"What is it?" Ruri asked.

"'Time is etched, and then chaos descends'... I think I've heard something like that before... but I'm not sure where..." Fate replied quietly, still thinking.

"That clock actually exists somewhere... Do they mean to use it for their crusade?" Lucy asked.

"'Chaos descends"... My guess, it's a reference to that crusade." Cana said.

"Natsu, are you okay? Are you following the conversation?" Happy asked.

"Oh, shut up!" Natsu replied.

"Then rules are unnecessary here." Gray said.

"Now that's right up my alley!" Natsu agreed.

"Listen, everything works more or less because the world has rules, right?" Happy asked.

"Like when someone takes something that's not theirs, they're a thief?" Cana asked.

"Like, lock your door whenever you go out?" Michelle asked.

"All of our freedoms were built upon the foundations of certain rules. Without them, everything would be pure lawlessness." Makarov explained.

"Is that what they're trying to achieve with their crusade?" Destiny asked.

"Sounds like thinsg are getting crazy again..." Charles said.

"In the first place, you can't call robbing someone of their property and act of holiness." Gildarts said.

"A clue..." Lucy mumbled.

"Maybe Legion is looking for another part of the clock now..." Michelle mumbled.

"If we can find out what their purpose is, the meaning of the memento will also become clear." Cathy said.

"All we can do is investigate." Dan sighed.

"And maybe that'll tell us where they are..." Phil said.

"Or maybe they'll notice us sniffing around and come for us." Gray said with a smirk.

"I like that thinkin'! Let's go!" Natsu said.

"But, where should we start investigating?" Lucy asked.

"I'll try doing a divination. That should narrow it down at least." Cana said.

"Did you hear that!? That's my daughter!" Gildarts bragged.

"Yeah, yeah..."


	27. The Heartfilia Konzern

"I kind of remember seeing this before..." Natsu stated.

"It's the Heartfilia mansion." Erza reminded.

"Was it put up for sale?" Gray asked.

"It's in good shape, considering 7 years have passed." Happy said.

"Then it must be kept up periodically until a buyer is found, huh?" Carla asked.

"The administrator of the estate says they haven't been able to find a buyer..." Lucy said.

"Probably because it's too luxurious." Adam said. Rory glanced over at Fate, who was tilting her head while looking at the mansion, tilting a few more inches over seconds. He turned to her.

" _ **What**_ are you _**doing**_?" Rory asked.

"I feel like I've been here before... but I know I haven't ever been here before in my life... it's weird." Fate replied, distracted with trying to remember why she thought the way she did.

"I'd suggest to not worry about it." Rory said. Fate nodded.

"This brings back memories... I used to think of this as a castle back then... And it hasn't changed..." Michelle said.

"Michelle, you've been here before?" Lucy asked.

"We used to play a lot together..." Michelle replied, crying.

"Oh... that's... right...?" Lucy tried to cheer her up.

"Nee-san, you used to make clothes for me..."

"Right, right... I may have..."

"Clothes?" Wendy asked.

"She must be better with her hands than I thought." Carla said.

"That's cute." Ethan said.

"Although the clothes were made with colored construction paper and flowers..." Michelle added.

'How do you make clothes with construction paper and flowers!?" Natsu asked.

"Well, think..." Gray and Natsu daydreamed.

"Go home!" Lucy yelled.

* * *

"I'd like to get to the reason we're here. Do you mind?" Erza asked.

"No objections!" Natsu, Gray and Happy replied in unison.

"Um... where should we start?" Wendy asked.

"And what are we supposed to be looking for?" Carla asked.

"That's the reason I had so many of us come here." Erza replied. "We'll spread out in groups of 2 and thoroughly search every room."

* * *

Natsu and Happy opened a chest, finding nothing.

 _"Look for clocks parts..."_

* * *

Erza and Gray checked a statue and a curtain in a hall.

 _"Old clocks..."_

* * *

Wendy and Carla looked under sheets in a room.

 _"Anything that reminds you of those words..."_

* * *

Michelle was grabbing 2 crates, stumbling around as Lucy freaked out.

 _"Books that have something to do with ancient Potamelian..."_

* * *

Rory and Adam looked under things and over things.

 _"Anything..."_

* * *

Ethan opened something, finding a Jack-In-The-Box and then making it open and scaring Fate, then they both laughed.

 _"Examine anything that makes you think, "How about this?"."_

* * *

"I couldn't find a potential clue if it bit my ass!" Natsu complained. He stepped on a piece of paper, a letter written on it. "What are you guys playin' a game for?"

There were a bunch of papers with letters on them scattered on the floor. Gray, Erza, Wendy, Carla, Ethan, Fate, Adam and Rory seemed to be thinking hard about something having to do with them.

"Keep your silence." Erza said.

"We're thinking!" Gray said.

"What's that? A puzzle?" Happy asked.

"We're trying to decipher an anagram." Michelle replied from behind, Lucy next to her.

"Anagra...? Oh, that." Natsu said.

"Well, it is like a puzzle! That's what made learning ancient languages when I was a kid super fun." Fate said.

"Huh, that looks fun! Let me..." Natsu suddenly sneezed, blowing the papers everywhere.

"Dinosaur sneeze!" Ethan exclaimed with a grin.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Carla asked.

"We were trying to think!" Wendy said.

"Back to the drawing board..." Rory mumbled. Adam groaned. Suddenly, Erza cut at Natsu and Happy with her sword.

"We were on the verge of getting a flash of inspiration!" Erza scolded in a deadly tone.

"Erza-san is really serious..." Wendy said.

"She's the type that really focuses on things like this..." Gray added.

"Geez! You scattered cards all over the place!" Carla complained.

"Ah... Is this..." Fate trailed off, looking at the cards in front of her and Carla.

"DIAO!"

Everyone gathered around.

"Those 4 letters... "Myth", correct?" Crux asked.

""Myth"?" Wendy asked.

"Indeed. Like an old legend..." Crux replied.

"I think we're getting there." Adam said.

"Don't jinx us." Ethan said.

"But what can we do with the remaining letters?" Rory asked. Everyone thought.

"Duo... Great... Myth..." Erza read.

"That's it! There are 2 books referred to as "The 2 Great Myths"!" Lucy exclaimed. "The author is Will Neville. One book is titled "Life of the Clockwork" and it's got those words in it!"

"Is that the book you had in your room, Nee-san?" Michelle asked.

"Uh-huh. What a coincidence!" Lucy replied. Rory muttered something that no one could hear, except Fate, who was beside him and didn't seem to understand. Rory glanced at her and she focused back on the group.  
"And as for the other Myth..." Lucy held up a Children's book. "Ta-daa! It's called "Key of the Starry Heavens"!"

"Isn't that a picture book?" Natsu asked.

"And a Children's book. My Grandmother read it to me once." Fate replied.

"It's not just any old picture or Children's book! It's really magical..." Lucy said.

"At any rate, doesn't the word "key" strike you?" Gray asked.

"Yeah. Maybe there's some kind of hint inside the book." Erza replied. Carla stared at the cover, and then inhaled a frightened gasp of air.

"I don't know if it has to do with that clock hand..." Lucy said. "... but maybe there's a message from my father in this book!"

"Would you give me that book?"

They all looked around, not knowing where the voice came from. Fate suddenly felt a hand grab hers and looked over to see Rory, who quickly pulled it away.

"Sorry... usually, Ruri grabs my hand..." Rory mumbled. Fate smiled at how kind and gentle Rory could be.

The door suddenly broke open.

"Wh-What the hell was that!?" Natsu asked.

"The door handle expanded!" Adam replied.

"You've got a rather limited power of expression, it seems. You couldn't say the door handle doubled in size, which broke down the door?"

A figure was walking into the room, the smoke covering them mostly. When he became more clear, they could see that it was a sky blue Exceed. His attire consisted of a Mitre with the Zentopia Church insignia on it, Gale-Force Reading Glasses, a red scarf adorned by a blue-colored ornament and a dark-blue shirt.

"Why, you... Who the hell are you!?" Natsu asked.

"I am the head of Legion... Samuel."

"So you sniffed us out right away and came runnin', huh?" Gray asked.

"Then give us back the clock hand!" Natsu ordered.

"Never." Samuel replied. Samuel summoned his wings and got off of the ground. "Anyway, you've done exactly as I predicted. I knew you would come here. And that you would find a clue. As indeed, you have. I'm a genius."

"That's guy is getting on my nerves..." Ethan complained through gritted teeth.

"We'll have to attack before he gets the chance..." Natsu said.

"But, wait! Don't you think we should probably-" Fate was cut off.

" _ **Ice Make: Lance**_!"  
"Victory goes to the one who hits first!"  
" _ **Roar of the Fire Dragon**_!"

All of the attacks were suddenly deflected by a powerful source. Ethan, Adam, Fate and Rory dodged behind the desk to avoid getting hit. After Lucy's freakout, they came out of hiding.

"I'm the spearhead of Legion... Dan Straight is here!"

Adam started to laugh quietly.

"We know a Dan... but he's nothing like this, so far..." Adam laughed.

"This is serious!" Rory scolded. Ethan started laughing quietly as well.

"I told you to wait..." Fate sighed.

"Did you get a good look at the power of my shield? Magic shield "Ricochet"! It blocks any and all attacks, then scatters them about!" Dan Straight explained.

"Ricochet... So everything bounces off of it..." Erza repeated.

"Then we can't just attack willy-nilly..." Wendy said.

"One false move and Lucy will be buying back a mountain of debris!" Gray said.

"We got one pain in the ass comin' in after another!" Natsu complained.

"They're going to attack." Samuel warned.

"No matter how many times they attack, nothing will change!" Dan S. said.

"I'll destroy that thing before it repels my attack!" Natsu yelled, attacking again. But the attack repelled and everyone had to dodge it.

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP IT!" Lucy yelled.

"Dan, that girl has the book." Samuel notified.

"Lucy-san!" Wendy warned.

"I'll lure that guy outside!" Lucy said.

"No! Nee-San, that's too dangerous!" Michelle said, but Lucy did it anyway.

"Here's the book! Steal it if you can!" Lucy yelled. She ran, but Dan S.'s sword hit straight where she was going.

"Beautiful! Ths wizard is too beautiful! She's shot me right through the heart!" Dan yelled, hitting the ground on his knees. Everyone was quiet, except Fate who just just sighed again. "I can't stand it! I can't stand it! She's crushed me!" Dan S. grabbed Lucy's hand, shaking it. "By the way, what's your name?"

"Lucy..." Lucy replied.

"Lucy! I can't stand it!" Dan S. started hitting the ground again. "Lu! Cy!" Dan stood up, fake-crying. "You've touched me to the quick! Can I call you Lu-tan? Lu-chan? Lu-pi? Lun-lun?"

"Whatever..." Lucy replied.

""Whatever"!" Dan S. repeated. "That voice! Those eyes! That mouth! That hair! That chest! That waist! Those legs! All of it makes my Fibonacci sequence chirp! It spells out..." Dan made letters with his body. "L- O- V- E!" He then sat on his knees in front of Lucy again. "That's love!"

"Wh-What are you talking about!?" Lucy asked.

"Love!"

Erza attacked.

"Lucy!" Erza yelled. Dan S. dodged.

"Cut it out! Don't butt in!" Dan S. yelled.

"Go Lucy and Michelle. We can't let them take that book!" Erza said.

"R-Right!" Lucy agreed.

"Everyone, I need you on support. Leave this to me!"

"I-I think we wee overwhelmed by that..." Wendy said. Fate nodded twice, seeming dizzy.

"Our brains were at a standstill..." Gray said.

"Huh. You've got a lot of confidence in yourself." Samuel said.

"You'd do well not to underestimate us." Dan S. said.

"Let me hit 'em, too!" Natsu yelled.

"You protect Lucy!" Erza replied. "Run, Lucy!"

"Let's go!"

"Right!"

Lucy and Michelle ran off.

"I'm not done talking to you!" Dan S. yelled. Natsu and Gray attacked, but their attacks were repelled.

"Don't destroy the house!" Lucy yelled as Happy and Carla flew away with her and Michelle.

Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Ethan, Adam, Rory and Fate ran off as well, escaping.

* * *

There was a loud explosion, causing Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Lucy, Michelle, Happy, Carla, Rory and Fate to stop.

"What the hell was that!?" Gray asked.

"It was from the study!" Ethan replied.

"Erza..." Adam mumbled.

"Nee-san, we have to hurry!" Michelle reminded.

"R-Right..."

They turned and all of the sudden, Samuel was there.

"When did he...!?" Lucy was cut off.

"Just as I predicted. The answer came forth simply, based on your mental state and the structure of this abode." Samuel said.

"No one wants to hear your mumbling!" Natsu yelled, attacking. Samuel dodged and suddenly Dan S. threw Natsu out the window with his sword. Everyone got ready to attack, but huge books fell from the ceiling and everyone had to dodge. Wendy, Gray, Ethan, Adam, Rory and Fate got slowed down and Samuel and Dan S. went after Lucy, Michelle, Happy and Natsu.

* * *

Fate grabbed one of Erza's arms and pulled, not even getting her out an inch.

"I'm sorry... I'm not strong..." Fate apologized. She felt weaker than normal. Rory grabbed the same arm and helped pull.

Soon enough, everyone was able to get Erza out. Fate suddenly felt dizzy, and she fell to her knees, holding one hand to her head because of her headache.

"Hey, pipsqueak... are you okay? You look almost... pale." Rory said. Fate couldn't nod. "Pipsqueak...?"

Fate suddenly went into a coughing fit and Ethan was by her side in seconds. When Fate stopped, she was breathing heavily and she felt something wet on her hand. She pulled away and saw blood. Had she coughed up blood? Her vision went into spots before going black and she felt herself falling.

"FATE!"


	28. Clock Parts, Nightmare Disorder, Letter

_**A/N: May be a little M Rating in this chapter, just a heads up...**_

* * *

Fate's eyes landed on a white ceiling when they opened up again. Unlike earlier, where she had felt really shitty and tired, she felt a lot better.

"Oh, she's awake!"

Suddenly, she couldn't breathe because she was pulled into a tight hug by 2 people.

"Can't... breathe..."

Her point got across and they backed off. She sat up, with a whole lot more difficulty than she thought she would. Ethan, Akina, Namine, Destiny, Chilled, Minx, Adam, Rory, Cathy, Ruri, Jordan, Charles, Hotaru, Max (G.), Renee, Ryeluen and Miharu all looked worried and relieved at the same time. Except Rory, Ryeluen and Miharu all had their neutral faces on. She remembered what happened all at once.

"What happened with the book?" She asked. Ethan sighed.

"Apparently Samuel got the information, but he left the book behind. He doesn't see us as a threat." Ethan explained. Fate nodded.

"Aren't you gonna ask what happened to you?" Renee asked. Fate thought about it.

"Sure, I guess..." Fate replied. Max hit Renee's head gently, but she still flinched. It was obivous that no one wanted to say.

"You have Anemia." Rory said plainly.

"Rory-"

"She needs to know so she won't push herself!"

Everyone was silent.

"Anemia...?" Fate asked.

"Seriously? You have insane Math, Language and History skills, but you don't know about Anemia?" Rory asked.

"I don't know a lot of things..."

"Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a main part of red blood cells and binds oxygen. If you have too few or abnormal red blood cells, or your hemoglobin is abnormal or low, the cells in your body will not get enough oxygen. Symptoms of anemia - like fatigue - occur because organs aren't getting what they need to function properly." Rory explained. "You have Anemia caused by blood loss, probably from all your recent injuries."

Fate took a moment to let it set in.

"Which means..."

"Which means you can't push yourself, for any reason. Which means using your more powerful magic should be off-boundaries."

* * *

"Anyway, if we go to the places "Key of the Starry Heavens" was based on, I'm positive we'll be able to obtain the remaining parts. I don't know why Legion is after those clock parts. But I can't let them succeed after seeing the prophecy about "chaos descending"! I'm going to look for the parts!" Lucy declared.

"By yourself!?" Natsu asked, still in a miniture form from the whole Heartfilia-Konzern-Attack case.

"Yeah. The Master told me to leave it alone, but I can't stop thinking about it." Lucy replied.

"I know how you feel..." Michelle sniffled.

"And besides, Natsu is no good to us if he stays like this." Happy said.

"Happy! You've been bustin' my balls ever since you got bigger than me!" Natsu complained. Happy patted Natsu's head.

"You're wrong. I didn't get any bigger. _You_ got tiny, Natsu." Happy reminded.

"What are we going to do? Legion has probably already figured out the same thing. And if I'm right, this becomes a race against time." Gray said. Erza seemed to sigh.

"When the remaining parts are all gathered, it isn't certain what will happen. However..." Makarov trailed off. ""Chaos upon the world" must be avoided."

"Let's split up into groups." Erza suggested.

* * *

"They all left to search for the clock parts!?" Akina asked. Makarov nodded, causing them all to sigh.

"Then what are we supposed to do!?" Miharu asked. The silence was deep, and almost threatening.

"As a matter of fact... I have a certain job for all of you."

* * *

 _Breathe in._  
 _Breathe out._

 _Fate had been strolling through town when she saw him. She was stepping carefully down the sidewalk, avoiding patches of ice that were slightly hidden by the snow that was already piled on the ground._

 _'Why is it snowing? Isn't it like, the middle of April or something? And why am I... alone?'_

 _She was about to cross the road, and that was when her eyes met his. He was standing on the opposite side, still as statue, eyes locked on hers. She froze in her tracks, despite the snow, completely entranced by his gaze. He had red fur and dark brown eyes. He wore a gray vest over a white, button-up shirt, in which the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and black jeans._

 _Fate stood there for what seemed like hours before he gave her a devilish grin. She shivered, unable to tell if it was because of the cold or that look he gave her. Like she was a mouse and he was a mountain lion._

 _He stalked across the road directly towards her and before she could process what was happening, he grabbed her forearm, spun her around and led her down the street like they'd been together all along._

 _"How are you, dear?" He purred. Still shocked, she let him lead her around Magnolia's Square. When had she gotten all the way to the Square?_

 _"I-I'm okay," she managed to stutter out._

 _"Wonderful."_

 _The number of people they passed was getting less and less as Fate walked along with him, no one hardly paying any attention to the 2 of them. Surely those that did assumed that they were a couple of cats who knew each other well and were out for a stroll, rather than 2 strangers going who-knows-where._

 _"Wh-Who exactly are you?" Fate stammered, finally regaining her senses._

 _"Oh Ame "Fate" Konno, I know who you are. I suppose I should have known you wouldn't recognise me. We have never_ _ **actually**_ _met before," He said with a voice she couldn't help but shiver listening to. How did he know her full name? It hurt, hearing the name that her family and friends once called her. "I'm Jered Asher." Curiosity took over._

 _"How do you know me?"_

 _A smirk formed on his lips, but his pace quickened. There was nearly no one around anymore._

 _"All in good time, Fate. All in good time." He glanced at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You must be freezing," he stated. Fate nodded, silenced by his embrace, and accidentally shivered, once again. She wanted him to let her go, but she didn't want to be rude._

 _The roads were empty now._

 _"I think I can help with that," He said with a growl as he pushed her into an alley and backed her into the hard brick wall, his arms caging her there._

 _Breath in._  
 _Breathe out._

 _There was his mouth pressed against hers, his lips hard and hungrily working on hers. His tongue was in her mouth, roughly exploring. A low squeak of surprise escaped her and he pressed harder against her, wanting to hear her make that sound again. She pushed her hands against his chest, attempting to push him away. She didn't have anywhere to go unless he got off of her, which she really wanted him to. It didn't feel right, it probably wouldn't_ _ **ever**_ _feel right._

 _His hands began to play with the bottom of her shirt, lifting it slowly as he ran his hands up her stomach, making her shiver in discomfort._

 _He pressed even closer and she felt a sharp pain in her stomach that she had memorized well, without wanting to. Warmth flooded the area, and she slid down the wall in pure pain. She looked down and there it was. A silver knife protruding from her stomach, blood oozing out from around the wound. He gave it a twist before forcefully yanking it out, causing her to wail in pain. Wiping the excess blood off of the blade and onto her leggings, he backed away. He crouched a few feet away from her, grinning, and wiped the spit from his mouth. He stayed there for a few minutes watching her writhe on the ground, listening to her moan in agony, loving every second of it._

 _"This was fun, Fate. And don't worry about a thing, we'll be seeing each other again soon." Jered Asher crouched down and gave her head a pat. "Oh, and you can just call me Asher." He turned and stalked out of the alley._

 _Breathe in._  
 _Breathe out._

 _At least, although to Fate's despise, he made her warm._

* * *

Fate's sapphire blue eyes were staring into hazel ones. She immediately sat up, running one of her hands across her stomach and sighing in relief when there was no sign of blood or any kind of injury. She jumped a bit when a hand rested on her shoulder, but she knew it was Destiny.

"Are you okay?" Destiny asked softly.

"I-I think... so..." Fate replied.

"Did you have a nightmare? It looked like you were."

"I..." Fate wasn't sure how to explain anything to him, but then she remembered the reason she would often have nightmares and then would slip into Ethan's bed in the middle of the night. She still sighed though. "I have a Nightmare Disorder..."

Destiny seemed surprised.

"Really...? But... you usually get enough sleep, don't you?" Destiny asked.

"Only because I have a way to normally prevent them or help deal with them..."

"Which is...?"

"... It's weird, but I guess it just puts my mind at ease... to be sleeping beside another person..."

"That helps?"

"Yah... I used to sleep beside my sister after my family and I found out, and I've been sleeping beside Ethan a lot..."

Fate was quiet before Destiny grabbed her hand, holding it between both of his own hands.

"It's okay. If you ever need someone, just to be there, you can come to me. I won't ever be too far, and that's a promise."

Fate didn't know why, but her face heated up, dusting her cheeks with a dark pink color, under Destiny's soft, caring gaze and his small, adorable smile. His hazel eyes seemed mesmerizing, and for some reason, he made her heart race uncontrollably.

"You 2 seem to be getting along well."

They both jumped at Bisca's voice, going pink (or a deeper pink in Fate's case), and pulled their hands away from each other.

"S-Sure..." Fate mumbled. Bisca smiled, then held out a white envelope. "What's that?"

"Master said that he had an important letter to deliver, and asked me to ask you if you both could deliver this letter for him. I'm not sure why, but he said that it had to be the both of you. The address is on the front." Bisca said. Destiny and Fate exchanged looks and then nodded.

* * *

"Th-This is it...? It's... basically blended in with the trees, I'm surprised it has an address." Destiny said. Fate nodded.

At first glance, the place easy to confuse with one of the trees growing in the East Forest, as the base for it's construction is most likely one of the local trees. Stocks had been pierced in a few areas, creating openings for windows and a massive, ornate door. The land around the house was left unchanged, apart from the creation of paths and a few stairs leading to the main entrance.

"I wonder what's so important that _**we**_ needed to deliver..." Fate mumbled. Destiny shrugged, and then knocked without hesitation. There was no answer for a moment, causing Fate and Destiny to glance at each other before the door opened. They were swung at with a broom, making Destiny back up and for Fate to trip backwards, falling to the ground.

"Leave me alone! I hate Humans!"

"But, we're not Humans! We're Exceeds!" Destiny yelled. "Plus, you're Human!"

Fate looked up to see a slim and tall elderly woman with pink hair, tied in a bun on the back of her head by two large pins with crescent moon-shaped edges, and with two bangs of hair left framing her face. She had reddish eyes, and a beauty mark located below her mouth, on the left side of her face. Her attire consisted of a dark green blouse with a tie around the collar, paired with a long matching skirt and simple shoes. Over that, she sported a crimson-colored cape, with a wide collar decorated by massive Dragon horn-like decorations protruding outwards, and edges adorned by white, arch-like motifs.

"Despite!"

Destiny groaned, but payed close attention as Fate stood up, dusting herself off. Once she was done, she bowed to the elderly woman.

"We're sorry to bother you, ma'am, but it's for an important reason." Fate said.

" _ **Fate**_! _**Do you know how mean it was for her to swing at us with a broom**_!?" Destiny asked in a whisper-yell.

" _ **I'm aware**_! _**But remember, we need to give her Master's letter**_!" Fate whisper-yelled.

"What letter!? Which Master!? You're wasting precious time!" The elderly woman scolded. Fate quickly grabbed the envelope from her pocket, then held it up as high as she could.

"Master Makarov Dreyar of Fairy Tail."

"Why would he entrust an important letter to the 2 of you?" She asked as she took the envelope, opening it and then unfolding the letter, reading over it.

"We don't know. He specifically requested we bring it though." Fate replied.

The elderly woman's eyes widened at the end of the letter, then she looked down at the 2 of them.

"Destiny and Fate, I assume?"

They both nodded.

"Come inside. It looks like I have a lot of work to do."

"But, ma'am-" Fate was cut off.

"Don't call me that, it makes me feel old! My name is Porlyusica! Now, get inside before I chase you in with my broom!"


	29. Tell Me, An Egg?

Fate looked around Porlyusica's house beside Destiny as Porlyusica ran around.

The interior of the tree trunk had been hollowed out, creating a fairly large room. It was decorated rather sparsely, without too much furniture. The little furniture there was consisted of a bed, a working desk, several stumps, and numerous crates and barrels. There was also a large collection of books placed on shelves which were dug into the trunk of the tree.

Fate thought it was a small, sweet little home, but she still wanted to know why the Master specifically sent her and Destiny. He didn't even come see them himself, he asked Bisca to do it. Fate suddenly wondered what would've happened if Bisca hadn't interrupted her and Destiny, and her cheeks were dusted pink once again.

Porlyusica suddenly shoved a small paper bag into Destiny's arms.

"That's what your Master asked for. Now, you, leave! I need to talk to Fate." Porlyusica said.

"But-"

"I said to leave!"

"Fate's scaed of being alone! Can I wait outside on the stairs!?"

Fate was surprised that Destiny asked to wait for her so she didn't have to be alone. Porlyusica sighed.

"Fine. But if you eavesdrop-"

"I won't!"

* * *

"We barely found out anything..." Ryeluen said, glancing at Makarov, who was sitting with his arms and legs crossed.

"I sent a big group, did you find out anything?" Makarov asked. Ryeluen bit his top lip gently before sighing.

"Akina, Ruri and Rory found 2 things. I can't really explain what Ruri and Rory found but, one thing I do know from it... the Seekers of Nothing are searching for a certain group of people."

Makarov frowned.

"And we happen to have them."

"And Akina?" Makarov asked.

"She's really bothered by it, even if it's the name of a place."

"What's the name?"

"... "Erith"."

* * *

Fate didn't know why Porlyusica wanted to talk to her, but it worried her a little. Porlyusica flipped through a book, landing on a certain page before walking over to Fate. She grabbed Fate's right arm, seeming to be looking at something, before letting go and returning back to her desk. Fate didn't understand.

"Uh... is-"

"How much have you used your power?" Porlyusica asked, cutting off Fate.

"You mean, my magic?" Fate asked. Porlyusica froze, then turned to Fate.

"Do you not know?"

Fate shrugged. Porlyusica sighed.

"Fate Magic, right? That's not what it is. It may seem like that, and there are spells that are possible to use, but... your real name is Ame Konno, correct?" Porlyusica asked. Fate nodded a little. "I know you don't like it, and that the Earth Dragon Terra gave you the name you use now, Fate, which is ironic."

"I... don't understand..."

"If you want the truth, you're... unique for many reasons.  
One of them is that you have a power called "Noroi". It's dangerous if you can't control it. Some consider it a curse, some consider it a gift... it's really just a power. You're not the only one, but you're one of the few left.  
You see... your left hand can fix anything physical, mental or emotional, and you can also bring anyone back from the dead in the first hour that they're dead. It's easy to understand.  
Your right hand though... it can harm anything physical, mental or emotional, and you can kill anyone, no matter. See what I mean by dangerous?"

Fate was quiet.

"That's only one of them...?" Fate asked. Porlyusica sighed.

"Another one is obvious. Your sapphire blue eyes, they aren't for show. Have you heard the legend, and the prophecy?" Porlyusica asked. Fate shook her head and Porlyusica sighed again.  
" _When darkness falls, pain is all you shall feel._  
 _The Angel of Darkness will lead throughout time._  
 _The love is lost, beauty and light, will have vanished from this small world._  
 _The dreams will fade, to leave nightmares at midnight, and the darkness will be our new kingdom._  
 _The hunt will go on, deep in the night, until it's time to pray down on your knees._  
 _Although she can't hide from the eternal light forever, until their last breath Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire will fight._  
 _But they now realize, the stars they die slowly and one by one._  
 _Each light fading in their own way, being guided to eternal slumber, overseen by the Little One._  
 _Darkness will have fallen in paradise, but we'll be strong, and we will fight, against the creatures of the night._  
 _Until the Angel of Darkness is defeated by the Angel of Light, the Little One, Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire, our world may crumble one day._  
 _Perhaps afterwards, everyone may smile._  
 _That is our wish._  
 _For Happiness to be more of a Choice._  
And the legend is that when the Angel of Darkness is released, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, the Little One and the Angel of Light will rise and fight."

"But... if it's obvious by eye color, then Rory and Ruri-"

"They are Ruby and Emerald, yes." Porlyusica said.

"Then... who are the Little One and the Angel of Light!? Who would release the Angel of Darkness!? What would they even... be after...?" Fate asked.

"You're worried about others instead of yourself? You really are a member of Fairy Tail..." Porlyusica sighed. "You'll have to figure out yourself who the Little One and the Angel of Light are. As for who would release the Angel fo Darkness... you should know, and what they're after... I can't say."

"But..." Fate suddenly had a moment of realization. "The Seekers of Nothing... isn't it?" Porlyusica nodded. "But the Seekers of Nothing... we don't know what they're after..."

"It's as obvious as that you're Sapphire." Porlyusica said.

"Do you know?"

"No. If I did, I would tell you."

Fate looked down at the ground, worried. The reason why Rory was always so mad at her... was it because she had known nothing about being Sapphire? Or maybe because it was _**her**_ who was Sapphire? Ruri had told her that Rory was naturally rude to everyone, but now she had doubts about that.

"Is there more?" Fate asked.

"2 more things, but I can only tell you about one of them because I'm not exactly sure about the details of the other one." Porlyusica replied. Fate was quiet, waiting for Porlyusica to tell her about the next thing. "Your necklace." Fate was surprised, yet again, and removed her necklace, holding it out in front of herself.

"What about it? My grandmother gave it to me."

"What was your grandmothers name?"

"Was...? Jade Konno."

"She's dead, Fate. I met Jade Konno a year before she died, and you were born in x770, were you not?"

"How do you know all this...?"

"It was on Makarov's letter. He was curious about you since he noticed your sapphire blue eyes, you know." Porlyusica replied.  
"Your necklace is called the Key of Jade, and it has an uncountable amount of power. That's why, with it and another key, it's possible to release the Angel of Darkness."

Fate seemed really worried.

"I-I..."

"You are it's user. No one else can use it. Fate, your powers are yours and yours alone. Though some others have "Noroi", and there's another key and it's user... you can't be foolish. You can worry, you can be afraid, you can feel anything you wish. But, you can't be foolish and careless. I understand that you're scared for everyone around you, but you have to protect yourself before you can protect them." Porlyusica explained. "That's why Makarov sent you to deliver the letteer, so I could tell you all of this."

"What about... the last thing...? And why send Destiny with me...?"

"I'm not sure why he sent Destiny with you. But the last thing... I told you, I don't know much about it. I only know the name."

"Please, give me the name. I'll look into it on my own."

"... The name is Hiketsu. But don't get upset over whatever you find out, about anything! I've only told you what Makarov knows, the rest is up to you to figure out." Porlyusica said. Fate nodded.

* * *

Destiny almost got too excited when Porlyusica's door opened and Fate walked out, bowing to Porlyusica before the door closed. He noticed that Fate looked worried as she approached him.

"Are you okay?" Destiny asked. Fate gave him a small smile and nodded.

"I'm just... tired." Fate sighed.

"Well, if you need to stop and rest while we're flying back, just let me know."

Fate nodded. Destiny got ready to summon his wings.

"Hey, Destiny?" Fate asked.

"Yah?"

"... Thank you."

"Huh? For what?"

"Just... thank you."

* * *

"Destiny, wait!"

Destiny stopped immediately, looking back at Fate who was looking down at something.

"What?" Destiny asked. Fate didn't reply, she just flew down to what she was looking down at. "Fate, hey!"

Destiny quickly followed. He landed behind Fate, and then his eyes landed on something unexpected. It was an egg, colored white and lilac purple.

"It looks like an Exceed egg." Fate stated. Destiny nodded. It was true, after all.

"What do we do? Should we take it back to Fairy Tail?" Destiny asked.

"What else _**can**_ we do?"

"I don't know..."

"Can you carry it? I'll take the stuff we got from Porlyusica."

"Sure."

Destiny glanced at the egg once more and his eyes landed on a small black mark. He felt as if he should've recognized it, but he couldn't remember, and it worried him more than it should have.


	30. Oracion Seis, Erith?

"Oracion Seis... Just what we didn't need..." Macao complained.

"So that's why the old Master got summoned by the Council, huh?" Wakaba asked.

"AND HE LEFT WITHOUT TELLING ME WHERE HE SENT FATE!" Ethan loudly complained.

"She'll be back soon, I'm sure." Namine assured him.

"Not only did we tangle with them during that Nirvana business, but there was that other breakout as well." Erza said.

"They're worse than they were 7 years ago." Gray complained.

"How big is the difference?" Hotaru asked.

"Maybe like a 5/10 to a simple 9/10." Charles replied. Hotaru nodded, though Miharu seemed to ponder on the reply.

"But we were helpless against them..." Carla said.

"I couldn't do anything." Romeo said. "Dammit!"

"No. When you get down to it, it was my fault..." Michelle said.

"No, it's not your fault, Michelle! Remember what Natsu said before? My father should have left a more detailed message." Lucy said.

"In the first place, Lucy-san, how did your father get involved with that clock?" Wendy asked.

"I don't know that myself." Lucy replied.

"We'll solve that mystery another day. Right now, we have to find Oracion Seis and take back the Infinity Clock!" Erza declared.

"Anyway, let's go!" Natsu agreed. "If we search here and there, they'll probably turn up eventually, right!?"

"Forget it. This time, we should form a plan and then act." Gray said.

"What!? Where's your drive!? Just thinkin' ain't gonna get us nowhere!"

"It ain't a question of drive! Is head-butting the only thing your noggin's good for!?"

Natsu and Gray started fighting, and Juvia even went so far to start cheering for Gray.

"Everyone is on edge, huh?" Wendy asked.

"It can't be helped when all we can do is stand around with our arms folded." Carla replied.

"And many of us aren't here..." Erza added.

"Gildarts and Laki are both far away. Then, we have Fate and Destiny who were sent out by the Master." Ruri said.

"Pipsqueak and Destiny should be back soon, but... right now, we have our hands tied." Rory sighed.

"This is annoying..." Minx complained.

"It has to be at a time like this, when even one more person would make a big difference..." Erza explained.

The guild's doors suddenly opened.

"Yo! We're back!"  
"The Raijinshuu are back from a job."  
"And we took care of this one too in no time at all."

Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen stood in the doorway.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Freed asked, noticing the tension of the guild.

* * *

"So the Infinity Clock will bring about the end of the world? We leave for a short time and all hell breaks loose." Bickslow said.

"Bad timing, huh?" Evergreen asked. "If we had been there, Oracion Seis would've been defeated."

"Actually, on the way back here, I was out grocery shopping by myself as usual... some soldiers who had been guarding a church were talking about 2 men, one holding a large sickle, the other running at a tremendous speed, and they single-handedly destroyed the church in Shirotsume." Freed explained.

"A large sickle and tremendous speed!?" Happy asked.

"Erigor and Racer..." Natsu mumbled.

"Doesn't he call himself "Grim Reaper" now?"

"From what I heard, attacks on churches have suddenly increased in the past 2 or 3 days." Freed explained.

"You hear something like that, you should've told _**us**_!" Bickslow said.

"I _**did**_. But you 2 were so into eating at the time that you weren't listening."

"But I don't understand. Why are they targeting churches?" Erza asked.

"Since they stole the Infinity Clock, it sounds like Oracion Seis has gotten even more out of hand." Lucy said. Michelle looked upset.

* * *

"I'm going to divine the place Oracion Seis is targeting next, as well as who should go where." Cana explained, holding a deck of cards in her hand.

"One thing, Cana. Master Makarov specifically requested that if there would be any more groups going out, and being split up, that certain people would be left behind." Macao said.

"Who and why?"

"Ethan, Akina, Namine, Chilled, Minx, Adam, Rory, Cathy, Ruri, Jordan, Dan, Phil, Charles, Hotaru, Max Gaine, Malcolm, Renee, Zoe, Ryeluen and Miharu. Because when Fate and Destiny get back, he wants me to send them and the group on a certain job."

Ethan and Akina seemed to internally scream, and Namine sighed at them. Cana nodded, then concentrated on the cards of the remaining members, before throwing them onto the map in front of her. They stabbed their places like knives.

"So it's decided like this?" Bickslow asked. Cana nodded again. Macao collected the cards.

"I think the team chemistry and their compatibility with those destinations feels right." Cana replied.

"Whatever let's just get goin'!" Natsu yelled.

"I'll announce it!" Macao decided.  
" **The first team is Gray and Freed**!"

"Interesting. I've always wanted to try partnering with you." Freed said.

"Rune Magic and Ice Magic... If we combine them well, we should get interesting results." Gray agreed.

" **Next, Erza and Evergreen**!" Macao announced.

"Are they gonna be okay with teamwork?" Romeo asked.

"Well, Evergreen has a sense of rivalry with Erza." Wakaba replied.

" **And Max Alors**." Macao added.

"This is a nice opportunity. This time for sure, we'll see which of us is worthy of a fairy name!" Evergreen declared.

"What's important is finding the Infinity Clock. After I accomplish that, I'll play your game anytime." Erza said.

"Look, you don't need to compete against each other..." Max A. said, his voice shaking a bit. "Let's be friendly, o-o-okay?"

" **Next, Gajeel and Juvia**!" Macao announced.

"The Phantom Lord combo that came to our side." Levy said.

"Why must Juvia and Gray-sama be separated!?" Juvia asked. "To me, _that's_ what the end of the world is!"

" **Continuing, Bickslow and Wendy**!" Macao announced.

"Another unusual pairing, right? What fun!" Bickslow said.

"I-I'm looking forward to working with you, Bickslow-san." Wendy said.

"Yeah! And make sure you get along with my babies, too!"  
"Get along! Get along!"

Wendy seemed a little scared.

" **Next! Happy, Carla, and Pantherlily**!" Macao announced.

"Aye! The Exceed team is reunited, huh?" Happy asked.

"Lily aside, I have my doubts about us being able to deal with them." Carla replied.

" **And last! Natsu, Lucy, Elfman and Michelle**!" Macao announced.

"Alright!" Natsu cheered.

"We're the only 4-person team?" Lucy asked.

"Nee-san, we're together again, huh?" Michelle asked.

"Yep! Let's do our best to find the Infinity Clock!" Lucy replied.

"That's all!" Macao said. "Wait, I'm left here again!?"

"I wanna go with Natsu-nii, too!" Romeo complained.

"I don't want to be separated from Gray-sama!" Juvia complained. "Trade with Gray-sama, Gajeel!"

"Forget about it! My divination told me these pairings are the best this time." Cana said.

"Then let Juvia trade places with Freed-san!" Juvia yelled.

"It's the same thing..." Cana sighed.

"Come to think of it, it's been awhile since we've been apart, Natsu." Happy said.

"That's right! If push comes to shove, I can't fly!" Natsu complained.

* * *

Ethan sighed.

"What?" Renee asked.

"I'm getting a little pissed off that I can't help. What the hell does Master think is more important than helping each other?" Ethan asked. Renee smiled.

"You're sweet, Ethan. You're caring for the others, and that's important. But that's why, it's important for our group to do our job. Master Makarov has his reasons, I'm sure." Renee replied. Ethan sighed.

"Fine."

* * *

"We're back!" Fate announced, pushing open one of the guilds doors.

"'Bout time! Where's Destiny, though?" Ethan asked, not seeing the green Exceed. Fate seemed confused, then turned around.

"Is it too heavy!? Do you need help!?" Fate asked.

"No, I got it!" Destiny replied from outside.

"Got what?" Ethan asked, kneeling beside Fate.

"We found something, and decided that we couldn't leave it!" Fate replied, seeming excited. Destiny carried in the white and lilac Exceed egg. "Ta-Da!"

"An egg!?" Namine asked, leaning over Ethan.

"An Exceed egg, we think!" Fate replied. Destiny put the egg down.

"We found it in the forest, and couldn't just leave it." Destiny summed up.

"Well, how're you gonna take care of it when we're goin' out on a job?" Miharu asked. Fate and Destiny exchanged looks and then both sighed.

"I'll take care of it for you, since I was left behind here." Mira offered.

"Thank you..." Fate and Destiny seemed depressed over the fact that they hadn't thought about some things when it came to the egg.

"So, what's the job?" Minx asked.

"The old Master want you all to investigate this town." Wakaba replied.

"Erith?" Ryeluen asked. Wakaba nodded.

"Erith...?" Destiny asked, seeming a bit bothered.

"The name itself means flower, right? But, why investigate it?" Fate asked.

"Wasn't Erith over-run by black creatures years ago, destroying the town and killing all of it's residents?" Rory asked.

"Even the royal family they had there... what were their names...?" Hotaru asked.

"The Allyn's." Rory replied. Hotaru nodded.

"Julian and Claire Allyn, and their 4 children." Charles reminded.

"We should still go. It has to be for a good reason." Adam said.

Fate noticed that Destiny seemed really bothered, and looked at Akina, who looked the same. She looked at Destiny again.

"Are you okay?" Fate asked softly, leaning to the side to look into Destiny's eyes. He seemed to think about it.

"I think so..." Destiny replied quietly.

"Makarov said to go while being alert. Those creatures till live there, but he said you should be able to get through them with barely any trouble." Macao explained.

"A-Are we sure we want to do this?" Chilled asked.

"Well, why not?" Jordan asked. Chilled shrugged.

"To Erith, then!" Cathy cheered.

"To Erith!" Most of them repeated in a cheer.

Destiny and Akina seemed bothered,  
Chilled, Ryeluen and Charles seemed wary,  
and Fate was worried by Destiny's answer.


	31. This is Erith: Ava: Seekers of Nothing

**Author's** ** _Note:  
WARNING: During the chapter, there is a possibly-triggering part and at the end of the chapter, there is kidnapping.  
Proceed with caution..._**

* * *

"Is this... Erith?" Hotaru asked.

The group stood on a path, on a hilll, that was leading down into the small town. Most of the town's houses were wood, some brick and some both, minus the big castle on the other side of the town that was made entirely out of bricks. It looked bare and completely different from the rest of Fiore, though maybe up to 20 years ago or less, it was probably a really beautiful town, just like Magnolia.

"It looks so... empty." Chilled said, frowning sadly.

"We would be able to see something in the town from up here. I suggest we go straight to the castle." Charles suggested. They all nodded.

"What are we even looking for, though?" Ruri asked.

"We'll find out soon enough." Phil replied.

"First though, what time is it? It's dark, and those creatures are black, right? I'm not going to run into a town full of black, dangerous creatures at night." Minx said.

"What? You want to camp up here all night?" Max asked.

"Why not, Maximillion?" Minx asked, falling to the ground on her back, throwing her bag to the side. Max sighed.

"I agree with Minx. Bad enough as it is, this job isn't happening while it's dark. Let's wait for the sun." Renee said.

* * *

Fate listened to the leveled breathing of all of her sleeping friends. She couldn't sleep, because Erith was giving her this horrible feeling that she couldn't shake off.

"Pipsqueak!"

Fate jumped when Rory whisper-yelled at her, but rolled over and sat up to look at Rory.

"Yah?" Fate asked quietly.

"What's wrong? I thought you would've been asleep by now. Even Ruri's asleep." Rory replied.

Fate suddenly felt guilty when her sapphire blue eyes made contact with Rory's ruby red ones. She knew he could tell if she was lying, and for some reason felt like he was someone that she could just telll everything. She crawled over to him and lied down beside him.

"Erith is giving me a bad feeling." Fate said simply.

"That's not all of it, is it?" Rory asked. Fate shook her head.

"Destiny and I delievered a letter to this lady named Porlyusica. Her and I talked while Destiny waited outside and she told me..." Fate trailed off, taking a few breaths.  
"I have this power called "Noroi", which is confusing me.  
I'm the user of the "Key of Jade", and my grandmother is dead, which I wasn't aware of,  
I have some sort of thing called "Hiketsu"...  
I know... about the legend and the prophecy and why I've been called Sapphire..."

Rory took the first 3 well, but he couldn't grasp the 4th.

"Y-You know...?" Rory asked. Fate nodded.

"I'm not holding anything against you or Ruri. But... if you're always mad at me because it's _**me**_ who's Sapphire, then-"

"What!? No! I mean..." Rory sighed. "It's... complicated, I guess."

"I don't care what you think of me. I want to help. If the Angel of Darkness is released, then I want to find the Angel of Light and the Little One, and I want to seal her away again. Or... any kind of needed measure. But, I don't think I can do that if I know you can't tolerate me."

"Ava, I-"

"Ava?"

Rory's eyes widened and then he looked upset. Fate knew that he had gone over a line and sighed.

"Sorry." Fate went to get up, but Rory pulled her back down. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

"I don't tolerate you, because I don't hate you. I like you, you're like... a sister in some ways. The first time I met you, I was happy that we had found our Sapphire, but... I got mad because I ended up comparing you to the previous Sapphire." Rory explained.

"Ava...?" Fate asked. Rory nodded.

"Ava Evitt, my older sister. Her, Ruri and I all lived in a small Exceed village called Seikatsu. She was the previous Sapphire, and she was really caring and mature compared to Ruri and I, though she had her childish side. We all thought that we'd be together if the Angel of Darkness was released, but... our village got attacked by a demon, and Ava sacrificed herself by using a spell she couldn't handle. She said it was for Ruri and I, and all the others that could've been killed.  
Don't get mad, but I just thought, you compared to her was a joke. She was a proud, out-going leader and you were a shy crybaby. But, you proved me wrong on Tenroujima. You sensed something was off almost right away, and with those injuries, you still got up and you still fought. Sometimes, I just remember how you cancelled out Kurai's magic, how you nearly scared me to death, how you helped Ruri and... how you were just so honest with wanting to help.  
Maybe I just think, I can't keep up... and maybe Ava died to teach me a lesson."

Fate was quiet, taking in all of the information she had just been told, then her eyes widened. She snuggled against Rory's chest, tightly gripping his shoulders.

"Rory, no one ever actually _**wants**_ to die. Ava gave her life for many others, and that's probably the most honorable way to die. No one is better, or worse, than anyone. We're all have humanity in us, and there's only the good and the bad."

Fate couldn't help from crying, and she could hear Rory crying as well.

"See? I told you... you're such a crybaby, pipsqueak..."

Fate laughed a bit and nodded.

"Try and get some sleep before tomorrow. You'll need it." Rory said.

"You, too."

* * *

 _Fate stepped into a dark alley only to find it empty._  
 _She got ready to wait, but there was a sudden shuffling and she realized that_ _ **he**_ _had arrived before her, choosing to hide himself in the darkest corner of the narrow, dead-end street. He stepped out of the gloomiest shadows, into the only mildly depressed ones. She could see him now, albeit with difficulty._

 _"What is it this time, Asher?" Fate asked. His lip curled in a conceited smirk._

 _"You say that like you actually have somewhere to be in your dreams." He mused, and as he talked his smile grew. Fate, however, was not smiling._

 _"What do you want?"_

 _Fate hated this. Meeting him here again, in the same alley as last time, where he had basically sexually harassed her and then stabbed her._  
 _She noticed that her legs were shaking. Just thinking about him made her quiver with fear. In her head she wanted to scream and yell at him for the torment he'd put her through, of the guilt she'd never erase, of the way she sobbed into her pillow in the morning. But she couldn't talk to him like that. She was too afraid. At least it was a justifiable fear._

 _"Come now, don't shrink away. Are you afraid I'll hurt you again?"_

 _Her hands were shivering, and she looked at the ground as she crossed her arms._

 _"Just do what the hell you're going to do already." She said, voice quavering._

 _No expression crossed his face. He didn't smile. He didn't frown. He simply looked at her the way one looks at an artifact in a museum- with mild interest._

 _"So, you've given in? I'd expect no less from my best."_

 _'Now I'm your best, huh?' She thought, but she said nothing._

 _He took a few steps forward and she instinctively recoiled, expecting a blow._

 _"Calm down," he said._

 _Still terrified, she took a step away from him as he began to circle around her and hit her head lightly. A brick wall. He'd gotten her against a wall, though he was a few feet away. She rubbed her head. Before she could say a word the view around her had vanished, and she looked up to see him standing only a couple of inches away from her, their faces unsettlingly close. Fate swallowed. He smiled._

 _He leaned closer and she wished so badly that she could press herself through the wall. One of his hands rested on her hip, making her even more uncomfortable. Then, next to her ear, he whispered._

 _"You're small, and at first glance you appear weak. I was wrong about that, of course, but I didn't know that at the time. What I did know-" his other hand slid behind her back- "was that you're irresistibly beautiful. So, I suggest you give in completely and kiss me before I force you to."_

 _The fingers that were placed upon her back reminded her of their presence through slow, tantalizing, rhythmic caresses._

 _He leaned in some more, but she didn't move. She couldn't. He growled and finally just leaned in completely, capturing her lips and making her push herself completely against the wall, wanting to get away, but not able to._

 _His tongue pushed against her teeth invasively and she wasn't able to hold him out for long. It wasn't enjoyable, it was disgusting to her. His hands began to run up and down her sides and the tingling sensation it caused made her shiver. He was, unwillingly on Fate's side, allowed access to the bare skin on her neck and gave himself liberty with her collarbone, making her want to push him away. But she knew that if she did, he would hurt her, more physically._

 _When his tongue returned to hers, exploring her mouth, she regretted not telling anyone about the previous dream, because maybe this wouldn't have happened._

 _When the next kiss finally broke she leaned against the wall, gasping desperately to catch her breath. She touched her lips as the reality of what had just happened sank in, and she wanted to cry, but she wouldnt let him see her in any weak state. She looked back at him to see him eyeing her suggestively._

 _"That's never happening again." She told him, speeding off towards the exit. But a hand grabbed her shoulder and she froze, terrified once more._

 _"This is the last time we'll be meeting in your dreams. Soon, we'll meet for real, and the Seekers of Nothing... we'll take down Fairy Tail, plus some."_

 _He let go and she ran off as fast as she could._

* * *

 _ **The Next Morning...**_

"The town's creepier when you walk through it..." Chilled mumbled.

"Are you scared of the paranormal or something, ChillyWilly?" Minx asked.

"You already know that I am! And don't call me that!" Chilled replied.

Fate, even in her slightly shaken state, took notice that the buildings were run down and some were fairly damaged.

"Looks like victim to a war in some places." Ryeluen said.

"Please don't say that..." Destiny sighed.

"What, do you know this place?" Miharu asked. Destiny was quiet.

"Let's not dwell on it. We're on a job, remember?" Akina asked.

Fate looked at Destiny, who seemed a little upset. She glanced at everyone else, who was focused on other things, and then took a deep breath. She grabbed Destiny's hand, intertwining their fingers and holding on a littel tightly. She prepared herself for Destiny's rejection, but instead released a breath she didn't know she had been holding when Destiny returned the hand-holding favor. He had a small smile on his face and seemed a bit happier, which made Fate smile.

* * *

"Pretty~!" Renee squealed as they all looked around the castle.

"At least the castle is in good shape, huh?" Namine asked. They all nodded.

"Alright, there's 22 of us. I say, we split into groups of 4 and investigate separately. There'll have to be 2 groups of 3, though." Charles said.

"Okay, but who with who, and where?" Minx asked.

Fate felt someone grab her free hand.

"I say we get a head start!" Ruri exclaimed, pulling Fate, Destiny and Rory along.

* * *

Destiny didn't want to let go of Fate's hand, but he had to so that they could search their part of the castle. Erith was really bothering him, more than he thought. He looked up when he heard something, and immediately gasped.

There was yellow-green Exceed with hazel eyes standing at the doorway to the room. She wore a long sleeved dark purple shirt, blue jeans and a pair of black running shoes, and she was looking at him with soft, caring eyes. A small, sweet smile was visible on her face. Destiny felt a tear escape his right eye, trailing down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away before the Exceed turned around and walked out of the room.

"Destiny...?"

Destiny turned to make eye contact with Fate.

"Are you okay?" Fate asked. Destiny nodded, even if he did glance back at the door in confusion.

'Who was that?'

"Well, we're moving on now." Fate said, holding out a hand for him. Destiny smiled and took it.

"Right."

* * *

"Nothing?" Charles asked as everyone re-grouped.

Everyone shook their heads and then they all sighed. Fate felt as if they all had missed something, and the bad feeling still stuck with her. Maybe it was because of the Infinity Clock? But half of the guild was stopping it, she shouldn't of felt like something was wrong.

"Bad feeling, Fate?"

Shivers ran up Fate's spine at the familiar voice. She somehow knew it would be something to do with _**him**_. Everyone turned to see the owner of the voice.

"Someone you know?" Ethan asked Fate, even though she didn't really know how to respond. Not when Asher's dark brown eyes stared into her own, while his lips were risen into a smirk. He wasn't even within 10 feet of her and he made her uneasy. Fate hid behind Destiny, peeking over his shoulder as she held onto his shoulders.

"Come on now, don't shrink away." Asher said. Fate could tell that he was mocking her.

"Leave me alone." Fate said. She could barely see over Destiny's shoulder, but it didn't bother her.

"Fate, who-"

"Jered Asher. He likes to play stupid mind games, and he isn't afraid to harm anyone." Fate cut off Destiny.

"Now that's just mean." Asher joked, pretending to be offended.

"The truth hurts, deal with it."

Fate's eyes widened when she heard Rory speak, then even more when he sheilded her. Asher seemed to scowl at the fact that what Fate had said had made everyone defensive.

"You just know everything, don't you?" Asher asked. Fate glanced at her hands, noticing that she was shaking, and then looked back up. "But you don't know how many there are in the Seekers of Nothing, do you?"

As if on cue, 18 individuals appeared, 4 of them being Exceeds.  
The 1st individual had long silver hair and tawny eyes,  
The 2nd individual had long black hair, with a silver streak, and tawny eyes,  
The 3rd individual had long black hair, in dreadlocks, and navy blue eyes,  
The 4th individual had long ash blonde hair and bright green eyes,  
The 5th individual had short, messy silver hair and navy blue eyes, one of them covered by one of the individual's bangs,  
The 6th individual had short bright brown hair and navy blue eyes,  
The 7th individual had long blue hair and tawny eyes,  
The 8th individual had flaming red hair and dartmouth green eyes,  
The 9th individual had short dirty blonde hair and navy blue eyes,  
The 10th individual had short dark blonde hair and navy blue eyes,  
The 11th individual had long bright pink hair and navy blue eyes,  
The 12th individual had short bright blonde hair and navy blue eyes,  
The 13th individual had short blonde hair and ocean blue eyes,  
and  
The 14th individual had chin length black hair and ocean blue eyes.

The 1st Exceed was red, a darker red than Asher, and had orange eyes,  
The 2nd Exceed was dark orange and had bright green eyes,  
The 3rd Exceed was flaxen yellow and had baby blue eyes,  
and  
The 4th Exceed was black and had amber eyes.

Fate's eyes widened as she recognized the last 2 of the Exceeds, although she didn't know one of their names.

"18 of them? Charles, we have 22, but Master told me specifically not to attack the Seekers of Nothing..." Akina whispered.

"I'm fully aware. Master told me all about it. But what else can we do?" Charles asked quietly.

"Hold up, we can't just recklessly attack." Ryeluen whispered sternly.

Fate noticed that the black Exceed's right ear twitched.

"If you want to fight..." The Exceed started, catching their attention. "Then give Ame to me. We have a score to settle."

"Ame? What the hell, we don't have anyone with that name!" Minx yelled.

Fate bit her lip, and so did Ethan, Namine and Destiny.

"Olivia, I thought we talked about this." The dark red Exceed said. Olivia seemed to want to say something, but instead she just huffed and crossed her arms.

"Whatever, Jackson..." Olivia huffed.

Fate watched in worry as Jackson disappeared in front of everyone.

"Be careful, he could attack from anywhere!" Jordan warned.

Fate felt uneasy, not being able to tell where Jackson was. Suddenly, she saw a flash of red and she turned, meeting a pair of orange eyes as a hand roughly grabbed her arm.

"LET ME GO!" Fate screamed, and Destiny turned around and reached out to grab her, but it was already too late as Jackson disappeared, taking Fate with him.

" _ **FATE**_!"


	32. Tortured: Jonah Greene

_**Authors Note:**_  
 _ **WARNING: HIGHLY RATED **__**M**_ _ **BECAUSE THIS CHAPTER INCLUDES...**_

 _ **\- Isolation (Mental Torture)**_  
 _ **\- Beating and Physical Violence**_  
 _ **\- Bone Breaking**_  
 _ **\- Choking/Strangling**_  
 _ **\- Cutting**_  
 _ **\- Flagellation**_  
 _ **\- Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment/Rape**_

 _ **PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK**_

* * *

Fate took a deep breath, then she held it as she struggled to slip out of the rope that binded her wrists together. She let go of the breath when she realized that the rope was cutting into her wrists, and then mentally groaned as she looked around.

Jackson had left her in a small room with 4 walls and a locked door. The little light that she had came from the window that was high up, nonetheless barred off. For some reason, she couldn't use any magic or anything, so she was stuck. What bugged her the most was how small the room seemed, and how the walls almost seemed like they were closing in on her. She glanced at her backpack, and suddenly felt really scared.

She was alone, in a small room, with little to no hope of escaping.

* * *

Fate's eyes landed upon Jackson as he entered the room.

"Why am I here?" Fate asked. Jackson knelt down in front of her.

"You know something that we need to know." Jackson replied. "Where is the Key of Jade?"

Fate suddenly got nervous. She _**had**_ the Key of Jade, but if he was asking than it must've been covered by her flannel.

"I don't know."

A sharp smacking sound was audible through the cell. Fate felt a burning sensation in her cheek as she stared at the right wall with wide eyes for a moment. She looked back at Jackson, who didn't look amused.

"Where is the Key of Jade?" Jackson asked again.

"I told you already... I don't know..." Fate replied.

Another heavy slap across the face. This time, Fate recovered with a glare.

"Where is the Key of Jade? I won't ask again."

"I don't know, you asshole! I'm not a fucking encyclopedia for all your stupid shit!"

This time, it was a heavy punch that sent her whole body to the floor, despite that she was sitting. Fate felt blood trickling out of her nose.

'Figures.' Fate thought.

Jackson stood up and began to walk away.

"You might want to watch your mouth. We're going to be spending a lot of time together."

* * *

Fate struggled against the ropes that binded her wrists again, even if they cut into her wrists. Her face hurt more, 2 slaps and a punch wasn't exactly "light". Her nose had stopped bleeding for the better of it, but blood wasn't the same as pain.

Fate looked up to see Jackson entering her cell again and she stopped fighting at her restraints. She waited for him to ask her the same question, to which she would give him the same answer. Her grandmother told her never to give it to anyone, and after her talk with Porlyusica, she wouldn't dare to give it to the Seekers of Nothing.

All of the sudden, he grabbed her by the collar of her flannel shirt, lifting her up and then slamming her against the wall. A small scream of pain and surprise escaped her throat. She didn't weigh much, and she was small for her age.

In that moment, she cursed her height against Jackson's. Her compared to him, he could grab her by the throat and toss her across the room as he pleased, and he wouldn't have to struggle to pick her up or throw her like a large weight. Not at all. And because her magic and her powers weren't working, she was defenseless.

"Let me ask you again. Where is the Key of Jade?" Jackson asked. The pressure between him and the wall hurt, her hands even felt numb behind her back.

"I'm telling you the truth. I don't know." Fate replied. All in a second, not even, he pulled her away from the wall and then smashed her back into it roughly. Fate felt something snap and pain shot up one of her sides. She couldn't stop herself from screaming in pain before Jackson let her go, her body dropping to the ground. She curled her body, attempting to subdue the pain, but it was obvious that Jackson had just broken one or more of her ribs. Tears streamed down her face when Jackson left, and she even started to sob.

* * *

Fate tried breathing around Jackson's grip, but it was nearly impossible. It hadn't taken him long to come back, only to question her, gain the same answer and then torture her some more. Fate had been expecting more hurtful violence, but instead Jackson had grabbed her throat in a suffocating grip and lifted her up off of the ground. By now, Fate was still scared of being alone, but it was better than having to see Jackson's face and to be tortured by him. She was sure that it was his amusement now and not just for one answer.

Suddenly, Fate was on the ground and she could breathe again. She took deep breaths when she wasn't coughing, and finally just rested here with a normal breathing rate again. She'd rather rest than just wait for him anyway, because it wasn't as if she was going to fall asleep anyway.

* * *

How Fate wished that she had actually fallen asleep.

The knife in Jackson's hand pierced down her thigh, pulling another scream out of Fate. Tears stung her eyes as Jackson cupped her cheek in his hand. He was straddling her so she wouldn't get up and run, making it hard for him to hurt her like this. No, instead she was trapped and hurt and bleeding, and close to crying once again.

"Maybe if you gave me an answer, this would stop." Jackson said. His tone was soft, and sickly sweet.

"I-I've already told you... I don't know!"

"Well that's too bad." Jackson ran the back of his hand down her cheek, cherishing the softness of her fur before she pulled her cheek away from it.

She hated him. She really, really hated him.

Jackson moved down to her stomach, pressing the blade into her side and pulled it down all the way to her hip. Another small scream escaped her lips. The knife traveled lower, as the tip pressed against her thigh again, then deeper. Deeper until she could hear the muscle tearing beneath the blade. Pain erupted in her entire body, every nerve a live wire to the pain, as she let out a full scream. Tears streamed down Fate's face before Jackson quickly pulled the knife away, placing his hand over the wound so she wouldn't lose a lot of blood and die. He wouldn't let her die.

When the bleeding slowed, Jackson left and Fate stayed on the ground. She wondered if there were any other prisoners, and if they were now scared out of their wits because they heard her scream. She had been pretty loud, but it wasn't exactly her fault. She sobbed as tears kept streaming down her face. What she'd wish for was just to be back home, at the guild, just having a normal conversation with Destiny or something.

Destiny.

She hadn't given any thought to him. The Seekers of Nothing wouldn't stop him from coming to save her, right? She had planned to figure out a way out on her own, but she couldn't move as she was now. For some reason, she'd give anything just to see Destiny again.

Fate sobbed, but this time it wasn't from the physical pain inflicted on her. It was from the pain of thinking of Destiny, when he wasn't around. She wanted him to be there- she _**needed**_ him to be there.

"Destiny... please help me... please..."

* * *

Fate struggled with the handcuffs on her wrists. They were attached to the wall and that wall, she was facing. Her back was to the rest of the room, and she didn't want to know why. So when she heard footsteps, she froze and swallowed hard. She couldn't turn around, she didn't want to. Especially not when she heard a belt buckle coming undone.

'What-'

Her thoughts were cut off when something snapped across her back, causing her to scream at the heavy burning feeling. Then, the pieces clicked together in her head.

 _ **He had hit her with his belt.**_

She felt it again, and now that she knew what it was it hurt more. She still even had her flannel and her tank top on, and it hurt this much?

"Is that enough to make you talk?" Jackson asked.

"I-I swear! I don't know!" Fate replied. She felt cold air hitting her back as Jackson lifted the backs of both of her shirts. They rested on her shoulders and she struggled to try and make it fall, but to no avail.

Suddenly, the belt slid across her back again, but this time it burned on contact. Fate screamed. It felt like she had been cut, but there was no cut and no blood, just the welts that would be left behind along her back.

After a couple more times, she could hear Jackson leaving and she broke down into tears and sobs once again.

* * *

Fate was untied completely. No rope, no handcuffs, no being attached to the wall, nothing. Yet she didn't have the power to move. She knew that Jackson would find out that she had the Key of Jade if she didn't hide it, so she had taken it off and had shoved it into her backpack.

When Jackson entered her cell, he kneeled in front of her, but she didn't meet his gaze.

"I've used all my methods of torture, except for one. Yet, you haven't given me the location of the Key of Jade. I have to say, I am in the slightest bit impressed. But, I'll ask you once more. Where is the Key of Jade?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know." Fate replied. She didn't know how many times she had said that she didn't know, but what she did know was that it was far too many.

"Well then, we'll have to move on to the last method of torture I am capable of. Perhaps it'll be... more enjoyable. If you relax, that is."

Fate's eyes widened as she backed away as fast as she could, only to have her back hit the wall. As Jackson grabbed her wrists and straddled her, she shook her head as tears escaped her eyes.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! Please! I don't know! I really don't know! Just please, don't do this! You can't do this! Please!" Fate begged.

"But you look cute when you're begging."

Fate didn't like the smile on Jackson's face and more tears fell out of her eyes and streamed down her face. He pressed against her and she snapped, coming up with a somewhat-lie.

"I own it! I'm the user! I gave it to one of my friends!"

Jackson paused and she thought that he was done, but he grabbed her jaw in his hand and forced her to look at him.

"Well thank you, but don't expect a lousy answer like that to get you out of this."

All of the sudden, his lips were moving over hers. She couldn't move away because she was exactly pushed up against the wall and he kept her from moving away by keeping her jaw in his hand, not to mention that he was still straddling her.

Fate pushed her hands against his chest in an attempt to push him away, but she was too weak after everything else. She gasped at the sudden squeeze on her left breast and squirmed with every bit of energy she had left. She didn't squirm for long, and when she stopped Jackson pulled away to push her flannel shirt off and then he lifted her tank top over her head, despite her protests and attempts to stop him, and then moved his lips over hers once again. Fate almost shivered from how exposed she felt, despite only having her shirts removed. Jackson removed his lips from her, only to trail them across her jawline and down her neck. He planted a few kisses across her collarbone before moving to her shoulder. The moment Fate felt his lips against her shoulder, she bit her lip to keep herself from making any noise. She cursed her sensitive shoulders, and almost felt relieved when Jackson moved away from the one he had just been planting kisses on. That was before her bra was removed, and before Jackson had his mouth over her right breast, squeezing the left one. He swirled his tongue around, mercilessly biting at the nipple. Fate was biting her lip, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of her making _**any**_ sounds. He switched, giving her other breast the same treatment.

When he pulled away, Fate couldn't stop her tears as he pushed her down, her back now on the ground, before straddling her again. He trailed kisses down her stomach, despite her starting to squirm again, before he reached her waistline. He didn't hesitate to grab and pull down her skirt, her cropped leggings and her panties all together before quickly straddling her and roughly kissing her. Fate couldn't help but whimper as his tongue roughly explored her mouth, sliding across her own defenseless tongue. She felt so uncomfortable, and she pulled a risky move by biting his tongue. It got him to pull away, but it resulted in her getting heavy blow across the face from his fist.

Fate squirmed in discomfort, even though she could barely move, as he began rubbing her clit. Her face flushed when she thought of how vulnerable she looked; she was naked, whimpering with tears streaming down her face, still injured and by being straddled, she probably looked submissive. She had no more energy, after all the torture, and this just added to everything.

Fate gave up on containing her sobs and the rest of her tears as 2 fingers entered her, soon followed by a 3rd. They pumped in and out a few times before they were completely removed and then replaced with something else.

Fate let out a full scream, obviously laced with pain, as Jackson entered her, but the scream faded into more sobs that were accompanied with more tears. He didn't give her time to adjust, and he wasn't gentle as he continued pulling out and then pushing back in. It was rough and it hurt. She could feel that she was even bleeding.

It felt like an eternity before Jackson released, to Fate's disapproval, and then left her curled up in a ball on the ground, crying her eyes out. Her sobs echoed off of the walls, while her tears pooled by her head.

* * *

Fate didn't know how she got the energy to re-clothe herself, but she did. Then she sat in the corner of the room. Her knees were tucked up to her chest, her arms crossed over the top of her knees, and her face was buried in them. She didn't look like she would be moving anytime soon, and she didn't feel like she would be.

When she heard footsteps, she didn't even bother getting worked up because nothing could hurt her anymore than the last thing Jackson had done to her. She heard something being placed beside her, but she didn't look up and she didn't move.

"Hey."

That wasn't Jackson's voice. Fate looked up slowly to see the flaxen yellow Exceed from before, who smiled at her. The smile was gentle and his baby blue eyes were on Fate with a soft look.

"You're..." Fate trailed off, her voice hoarse from all the screaming and crying she did. Her eyes also stung from all the tears she had shed.

"Jonah Greene? You gave me your allowance this one time when we were both kids, even though I was a poor little kid on the streets. You were kind, when no one else was. To be honest, I'm not sure what to think of anyone anymore. I don't know what to think of myself. The only thing I know is that I'm on the wrong side, and I have been all along." Johna explained.

Fate was quiet. She wanted to say something, but her throat hurt. Johna reached over to Fate's side, where there was a bucket of water and a cloth. Jonah dumped the cloth in the water, rung it out and then held it up.

"Let me clean you?"

Fate hesitated, but then she nodded, scooting herself away from the corner and closer to Jonah.

Fate winced as Johna rubbed the cold cloth along her face.

"Jackson must've gone all-out or something. Your face is probably only the start." Jonah said.

"Probably...?" Fate asked sarcastically. Jonah smiled a little.

"You know, Olivia offered to do this instead of me." Jonah said. Fate's eyes widened.

"But, she-"

"I know. When we were kids, she tried to hang you in the Girl's bathroom at your school, right? Exceed towns have existed on Earthland for awhile, it almost surprises me. But, Olivia is only playing with the Seekers of Nothing. She wants to make sure you're ready for what's ahead, and she wants to help. I think she got pissed off when I said that I'd do this." Jonah explained. "She said that she still really hates you, but she said it with this really cute, childish look. I don't think she really does."

They were silent for a few moments before Fate realized that Johna looked beaten up as well, from the small gash under his right eye. Fate grabbed his wrist before Jonah could place the cloth on her again and took the cloth. She dumped it in the water, rung it out and then started cleaning the small gash.

"Th-That's supposed to be for you..." Jonah said.

"Yah, but you look like shit." Fate joked, her small smile playing at her lips. Jonah smiled back.

"So do you." Jonah joked.

"What happened?" Fate asked. Jonah sighed.

"When I suggested that I should come clean you, Jackson slapped me. He probably would've been more violent if Olivia didn't tell him that even if you're a bitch, you don't deserve to be some sort of toy." Jonah replied. Fate pulled the cloth away and held it out to Jonah.

"Thank you, for doing that for me... and I guess that when Olivia is in a better mood, you can tell her that this bitch says thank you to her as well." Fate said. Jonah nodded.

"Thank you. Your face is all clean, but is there anywhere else?" Jonah asked. Fate pushed her knees together, which didn't go unnoticed by Jonah. "I'm sorry... he really went all-out."

"M-My back's burning... I don't think it's bleeding, but-"

"Yah, of course. It's the least I can do."


	33. The Key of Jade, Lucifera, Good Luck

Fate woke up to a face full of black fur. She felt an arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding onto her right shoulder gently, and an arm wrapped under her knees, holding onto her right knee gently. Her head was resting on the person's shoulder, and she heard multiple footsteps from 7 people as they ran.

Fate adjusted her position a bit, looking up at the person carrying her. Her eye's widened as the person slowed to a stop, followed by the other 6.

"Lily...?" Fate asked softly. He smiled and nodded.

"We took care of the Infinity Clock, don't worry. Charles contacted us through Telepathy and we rushed over." Lily explained. Fate looked forward to see Happy and Carla, and Carla had her bag.

"And not only us 3, the other's are fighting right now! And..." Happy trailed off. They all turned to 4 cloaked Exceeds, and the smallest one giggled. Fate looked at one of them, and they smiled.

"Lily, we shouldn't be dilly-dallying or we'll get found." Carla reminded. Lily nodded, and then they all continued walking.

Fate was about to shift herself into a comfortable position again, but a sharp pain in her thigh stopped her. What it didn't stop her from doing was from letting out a small yelp of pain. Lily froze.

"Are you okay!?" Lily asked.

Fate wanted to say that she was fine, but her emotions had other ideas. Instead of responding, she just dug her face into Lily's shoulder and started to cry. Lily held onto her tightly and continued to walk, despite the worried questioning coming from the others.

"I can only assume that you went through hell from how much you're bleeding, and how much you probably bled." Lily whispered, getting a nod from Fate. "It's alright, we're all here now."

* * *

"How much further, Carla!?" Happy asked.

"Not much further! Just a little more, up ahead!" Carla replied. Suddenly, she tripped and fell to the ground, causing everyone to stop. Happy helped her stand before he noticed something.

"Fate's bag..." Happy trailed off. Carla removed the bag from her shoulders, just before something bright shot out from it, scaring her and Happy. The bright light seemed to gather it's bearings, then it flew around Lily and Fate a couple of times before stopping in front of Fate. She held out her hands and it rested gently on them, the glow fading a bit.

"That's the Key of Jade, right?" The smallest Exceed asked.

"You know about it, Giggles?" Lily asked, gaining a nod from her.

"All 4 of us. It's really powerful, and it's said to always have a powerful user." Giggles replied.

The Key of Jade left Fate's hands, flying ahead of the group a little. It paused, seeming to wait for them.

"Is it... trying to lead us somewhere or something?" Fate asked.

"When the Key of Jade has a user, it gains a mind of it's own, and it'll do whatever it can to help it's user. It never lies to it's user in anyway, it's very positive." Giggles explained. "So, yes. It's probably trying to lead us somewhere. But, since you're it's user, it's up to you whether or not it'll actually lead us."

Fate thought about it. If the Key of Jade was so important that the Seekers of Nothing wanted it, then it had to want to lead them somewhere important.

"Let's follow it."

* * *

Fate felt tired for some reason, leaning against Lily's shoulder didn't seem to be helping. Carla noticed.

"Are you feeling alright, Fate?" Carla asked, gathering everyone's attention.

"I feel tired..." Fate replied. She then got a wave of sickness. "And sick..." Fate dug her face into Lily's shoulder again.

"Maybe it's your Anemia? You have lost a lot of blood." Lily said.

"Maybe..."

* * *

Everyone was startled when the Key of Jade darted in front of Fate, and when she held her hands out for it, it lurched away and headed down the hall. They all quickly followed it, even as it turned corners.

Suddenly, the Key of Jade stopped in it's tracks, causing everyone to bump into the person ahead of them, starting with Lily.

"Lily, can you put me down?" Fate asked. Lily nodded, carefully placing Fate down and steadying her. It took her a moment, but she managed to stand on her own, and she walked over to the Key of Jade. It bumped into the door in front of the group, and Fate bit her lip.

'What's beyond the door? I don't think... we should just rush in.' Fate thought.

' _ **There's something only you can stop, Fate. You need to.**_ '

Fate looked at the Key of Jade, then tilted her head in confusion.

"I must be going insane..." Fate muttered under her breath.

' _ **Stop the Angel of Darkness.**_ '

Fate's eyes widened.

"Huh?"

' _ **Only you, the user of me, only you can stop her. Stop it, stop her release. Please.**_ '

Fate knew that she was probably just hearing things, but she took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob. She felt uneasy, because something on the other side of the door had a very high level of magic power. Nonetheless, she opened the door and followed the Key of Jade.

On the other side of the door was large white and black room, and at the back of room was a large black and white wheel. The walls had intricate emblems embedded on them, which amazed the group.

What Fate wanted to know, was why the room was there and what it was for. While the others looked around, Fate followed the Key of Jade to the wheel in the back of the room, which was probably 20x her size or more.

"What is it for?" Fate asked. After she asked, she silently cursed at herself for talking to her _**necklace**_ , mind of it's own or not.

' _ **It's for releasing the Angel of Darkness. You need me, and Crimson, then it depends on the song sung by the users... if Lucifera be released or not.**_ '

"Lucifera? Is that her name? The Angel of Darkness, I mean."

' _ **Yes. Don't you know?**_  
 _ **Lucifera, the Angel of Darkness.**_  
 _ **Zachariah, the Angel of Light.**_  
 _ **Diana, the Little One.**_  
 _ **Safaia, Sapphire.**_  
 _ **Koukigyoku, Ruby.**_  
 _ **Hekishoku, Emerald.**_  
 _ **They had real names, but they chose whether or not to use them.**_ '

"Well... how do we prevent her release?"

' _ **You will need Crimson... and Olivia, Crimson's user.**_ '

"Of course..." Fate sighed. "Since I'm talking to you and all, what do I call you?"

' _ **I feel, just in the slightest, offended. Who else has the name Jade?**_ '

"Except..." Fate trailed off, then her eyes widened as she looked at the Key of Jade. "Gr-"

Fate was cut off by a loud crash, and shielded herself from a cloud of smoke. When she looked up, a gasp escaped her mouth. Her group and the group that had gotten tangled up with the Infinity Clock were all piled in the middle of the room, yelling at each other. There was a hole in the roof, and the Seekers of Nothing descended from it. Fate's eyes landed on Olivia, and she remembered that she'd need both Olivia and herself to prevent the release of the Angel of Darkness. And Olivia would have to be cooperative.

Fate watched as the Key of Jade returned to it's spot, hanging from it's chain around her neck.

' _ **Good luck, Fate.**_ '


	34. Jade & Crimson: Right Soul

Fate basically stumbled to the ground in order to dodge Asher's attack. He had, literally, called her as his to fight and didn't wait for a response from his group before rushing to attack her. She barely had enough energy to keep dodging in stumbles, so she doubted that she could attack him.

Asher froze all of the sudden, staring at something, and that's when Fate realized that she hadn't hidden the Key of Jade.

"The Key of Jade! You had it _**all along**_ , didn't you!?" Asher asked. Fate couldn't reply. "You're a monster, you know? You just have so many things piled on top of you... so much that we _**will**_ get... and you, Fairy Tail, _**won't**_ stop us!"

Fate stumbled out of the way of Asher's attack again, falling to the floor. She got another sharp pain in her thigh, probably from the deep cut, and she flinched as she tried to get up. Now she was stuck on the ground, unable to move because of the pain, and she knew that Asher wouldn't hesitate to kill her, because he now knew where the Key of Jade was. The Key of Jade wasn't responding to her, and it made her worry.

Fate looked up to see Asher getting his magic together, in order to kill her, or maybe even just hurt her badly, because she learned earlier that the Seekers of Nothing liked to see people suffering.

"Jade..." Fate mumbled as Asher gathered his magic. As Asher attacked her, Fate raised her right hand in hopes to cancel out some of his magic.

'Grandma!'

* * *

' _ **Don't be afraid.**_ '

* * *

Fate got up at the sound of the voice, and cancelled out some of Asher's magic before dodging the rest of his attack.

* * *

' _ **Sapphire.**_ **'**  
' _ **Ame.**_ '  
' _ **Fate Konno, Mage of Fairy Tail!**_ '

* * *

Fate suddenly felt like she had her energy back, and she took a deep breath, clearing her mind and relaxing her body. She closed her eyes as she took another deep breath.

* * *

 _'Dad, Mom, Henkou, Yuuki, Tristan, Peter, Krystal, Aaron...'_  
 _"Ame!"_

 _Fate saw her family and friends who she hadn't seen in what felt like forever._

 _'Terra... Takanashi, Sina...'_  
 _"Fate!"_

 _Fate saw the big dragon, Ethan's little sister and the smaller blue and white dragon._

 _'Grandma...'_  
 _"Ame."_

 _Fate saw her grandmother, who she was closest in resemblance with._

 _'Safaia, the original Sapphire...'_  
 _"Fate, the current Sapphire."_

 _Fate saw a human girl with gray hair that reached her waist, part of it done up in a back-of-the-head-braid, and sapphire blue eyes. She wore a white cloak, a white tank top, a pair of white gloves that were lined with red, a red skirt and a pair brown combat boots._

 _'Ava Evitt, the previous Sapphire..."_  
 _"Fate, right?"_

 _Fate saw Rory's older sister. She was a white Exceed, and her sapphire blue eyes stood out. She wore a white and blue striped t-shirt and a pair of white shorts._

 _'Fairy Tail... Ethan, Destiny, Ruri, Rory, EVERYONE!"_  
 _"_ _ **FATE**_ _!"_

* * *

Fate opened her eyes and summoned her wings, flying away from Asher.

"HEY!"

'I don't have much time left! I know that!' Fate thought.

She landed in front of the wheel, and removed the Key of Jade from her neck, holding it up. She shielded her eyes, even though she was still nearly blinded, as the Key of Jade erupted into a bright light. It attached to the wheel, nearly bringing Fate with it.

' _ **You still need-**_ '

"I'm aware..."

Fate turned around, making eye contact with Olivia from across the room. The Seekers of Nothing seemed partially worried about Fate and the Key of Jade being so close to the wheel, and everyone followed Fate's gaze to Olivia. Olivia seemed to take a deep breath before she summoned her wings and flew over to Fate.

"Olivia Edeline! Don't you dare!"

Fate flinched at the sound of Jackson's voice, but Olivia shielded her.

"You know what to do, shrimp?" Olivia asked. Fate nodded. Olivia grabbed Fate's wrist, placing something in Fate's hand. "You can do this, right? You have my support, and that's enough."

Fate flinched as Olivia set up a magic shield, and something collided with it. She backed away when she realized that it was Jackson, and he looked mad.

"Hurry up!" Olivia yelled, and suddenly the item in Fate's hand erupted in a dark light. She opened her palm, and realized that it was a key, almost identical to the Key of Jade.

The Key of Crimson.

Fate turned to the wheel, and the Key of Crimson attached to it.

* * *

' _ **Say the spell. The spell is enough.**_ '

* * *

Fate was about to ask, but words rushed across her mind before she could. She placed her hands in front of her, and gently laid them on the wheel.

 _ **"**_ _ **闇の天使！私はジェイドのキーのユーザーです！**_  
 _ **クリムゾンのキーの使用者の支援を得て、**_  
 _ **ライン上での生活では、**_  
 _ **そして翡翠**_ _ **side-**_ _ **によってクリムゾン側と**_  
 _ **私は、ご使用のリリースを防ぎます！**_ _ **"**_

* * *

 _ **'Well done. Looks like I picked the right person to share a soul with.'**_

* * *

Fate opened her eyes to find herself on the ground, the Key of Jade and the Key of Crimson both beside her. She looked up and her eyes widened.

The people in her group were all on the ground, like they were paralyzed. Fate looked around and noticed that it was because of the girl with the short blonde hair and navy blue eyes, and she was laughing at their attempts to get up.

Fate felt tired, but otherwise she was fine, and she grabbed both of the keys and shoved them in her pocket before slowly sitting up.

'I used more of my energy than I thought...'

She noticed Olivia in front of her first, on the ground, out of breath and panting.

'She probably used a lot of magic...'

Then Fate noticed someone she didn't want to. Jackson. And even worse, he noticed her. Fate felt herself shaking under his gaze, and all of her energy to move disappeared as he walked towards her. Suddenly, he stopped and looked down, and Fate followed his gaze to Olivia, who had grabbed Jackson's ankle.

"Don't touch her."

Fate almost flinched at Olivia's tone. She sounded angry, and when Olivia looked up, the look of anger in her eyes only added to it.

"Let go!" Jackson yelled, kicking at Olivia, who only tightened her grip.

"I will not!" Olivia yelled back.

Fate was still shaking, and she still couldn't move. She glanced over to notice that Jonah and the dark orange Exceed from before were all beaten up and were watching hopelessly.

"Olivia Edeline, let go of me!" Jackson yelled as he kicked her shoulder.

"I know what you did to her, you son of a bitch!"

Everyone froze, except Jackson who kicked Olivia in the stomach, causing her to lose her grip for a moment, but not long enough for Jackson to get away.

"You'll be next if you don't let go!" Jackson yelled.

Olivia made him trip, and he stumbled, losing something out of his pocket. It slid across the floor and stopped in front of Fate, who flinched away from it before realizing what it was.

It was a handgun.

"Shrimp, you know how to use it, so use it!" Olivia yelled.

"Don't touch that!" Jackson yelled, attempting to grab it, but he was stopped when Olivia made him trip again, and that time he fell to the ground.

Fate didn't hesitate to grab the handgun, and she checked how many bullets it had. Only 4.

'Let's hope that 4 is my lucky number...' Fate thought.

She aimed it, ignoring Jackson's yelling, and shot. The pressure sent her hands above her head, but she had held and used a gun exactly like it before, so it was almost like nothing. The bullet hit the arm of the blonde lady, who's magic was cancelled by her loss of focus, and everyone was able to move. She spotted Destiny, and he made eye contact with her, giving her a thumbs-up, which made her smile.

"Give it back!"

"STOP!"

Fate dropped the handgun and backed away from Jackson, who had finally gotten out of Olivia's grip. She covered her ears and curled up as he grabbed the gun, aiming it at her.

" _ **散布！**_!"

The floor disappeared from under everyone's feet, and the room disappeared as they fell. Fate opened her eyes when she was wrapped in a warm embrace, before everything went black again.


	35. Cassandra, Hebi's, See-Through

"This is bullshit!"

Fate was staring at nothing. Everything was dark, and when she tried to move, all she would feel was pain. Everywhere.

When she managed to sit up, she noticed Olivia, who was pushing against something. She shoved something away, then pushed against something else. It took Fate a moment to realize that her and Olivia were both buried under rubble, and Olivia was shaking. Fate noticed that Olivia wasn't only working on clearing out rubble so they could get out, but was also holding the rest of the rubble up with a spell of some sorts.

Fate took a couple deep breaths, feeling trapped, mostly because she was, and got up to help Olivia with getting out, ignoring the pain in her body. Olivia almost jumped when she realized that Fate was beside her, helping her.

"Good morning, sunshine. Took you long enough." Olivia greeted.

"I'm sorry. How long was I out, and what even happened?" Fate asked.

"We prevented the release of the Angel of Darkness, for now, which is going to get me in a lot of trouble. I saved you from getting killed by casting a Scatter spell, which gave everyone the illusion of the room disappearing, when really I only separated everyone. You and I are stuck together, and you've been _**sleeping**_ for a good 20 minutes or so!"

Fate sighed.

"Sorry..."

"Stop apologizing and help me so we can get out of here."

Fate nodded, and her and Olivia pushed on the piece of rubble in front of them. Fate suddenly yelped and pushed away from the piece of rubble. Olivia immediately stopped pushing.

"Are you okay!?" Olivia asked, worry lacing her voice. Fate wrapped her arms across her chest.

"I-I'm okay... I just got a really sharp pain, but I think it's because I'm trapped and scared..." Fate replied.

"Are you scared of small spaces?"

Fate nodded.

"Claustrophobia, I think it's called..." Fate replied softly.

"It's okay. We'll get out of here soon, I promise."

Fate nodded again, and re-joined Olivia in pushing. They pushed the piece of rubble out of the way, only to find another in their way.

"Oh, this has got to be a joke..." Olivia muttered under her breath, sighing and starting to push again, Fate quickly following. They were silent as they pushed, before Olivia stopped for a moment, which made Fate stop.

"Are you okay?" Fate asked.

"Just using too much energy, I think..." Olivia replied. Fate nodded, and they both continued. "Hey, uh... what do I call you? Because, I'm sure that your friends don't call you Ame."

"Fate. Terra, the Earth Dragon, gave it to me." Fate replied.

"Fate... I'll try to remember that since it was given to you by a Dragon." Olivia said. "Uh... I know that I said I knew what Jackson did to you, but all I know is what Jonah told me. "He went all-out", what does that mean?"

Fate flinched at the question, but continued to push on the piece of rubble.

"I-I can't really... explain, because I don't know the words..." Fate trailed off. "I only know so much..."

"Can you try? Just so I know how much I need to fuck him up before I run away from this godforsaken organization. They'll kill me if I don't." Olivia said.

"Well... he left me in a small room, alone, which got me pretty high in fear because I'm also scared of being alone.  
He beat me. Slapped me, twice, and then punched me. I kind of deserved it for calling him an asshole and swearing twice more at him.  
He broke a couple of my ribs, which are just numb instead of in pain...  
He strangled me, and I was sure he was going to kill me, but he didn't.  
He cut me on one of my sides, and my thigh, which keeps hurting.  
He hit my back, multiple times, with his belt and..."

Fate stopped, because she didn't want to cry, even if tears were already clouding her eyes.

"And...?" Olivia asked, her voice sounding shaky and upset.

Fate stopped pushing on the piece of rubble, sliding down it and onto her knees as she started crying.

* * *

 _"Sit down, Ame."_

 _"Am I in trouble for pushing that boy...?"_

 _"Not from me, it was the right thing to do."_

 _"How? Why?"_

 _"Ame, it's something that can happen to anyone. Remember how we talked about bad touches and good touches, and sexual things?"_

 _"Yep."_

 _"When someone forces you into sexual stuff without your consent, it's called Rape. It's_ _ **illegal**_ _and you could be very hurt from it, by anyone."_

 _"But what about you and Dad, and-"_

 _"Family, all of us, would never. Remember that, okay? But it's not impossible. So if_ _ **anyone**_ _badly touches you or hurts you, then you should go to someone you trust, okay?"_

 _"Okay."_

* * *

As Olivia knelt down beside Fate, rubbing her back in comfort, Fate mumbled one word for her.

" _ **Rape**_..."

* * *

Olivia stretched when she got out of the rubble her and Fate were stuck under. She made sure she was standing on a stable part of the rubble before turning around, extending a helping hand for Fate, who gladly accepted it.

They both climbed down the rubble, finally reaching the ground.

"See? We got out, no problem." Olivia said softly. Fate nodded. "Let's try to find your group. I'm sure they miss you as much as you miss them."

Fate nodded again. Olivia started walking, and Fate took a moment to realize. Fate ran up to Olivia and grabbed her arm, clinging to it. The action surprised Olivia a bit, but she didn't really mind.

"You're like a child." Olivia stated.

"Well, you're older than me. You were even before the 7 year gap." Fate reminded.

"Yah, but this weird thing happened. Apparently, the Seekers of Nothing, including me, all got stuck in a time-thingy as well. Coincidentally, for 7 years."

"Really?"

Olivia nodded.

"I'm still 16." Olivia replied.

"So you're 3 years older than me? I feel little..." Fate complained.

"Well, you are small."

* * *

"Hey, stop! Wait a minute!"

"So I can get captured again!? Forget it!"

Destiny growled at the hickory brown Exceed with green eyes, who was merely feet in front of him. He had chased her to a dead end, and she was being fairly hostile.

"Please! I just want to know if you saw anyone except me since you escaped!" Destiny pleaded.

"I haven't! Only you, and I regret letting myself be seen!" She yelled. Destiny sighed.

"Well, I know my way around. I could help you get out." Destiny suggested.

"Or help me get caught again." She scoffed.

"I keep my promises. Fairy Tail keeps their promises, and we never kill our enemies."

"Sometimes you have to! Sometimes... you have to kill in order to stay alive..."

"I'm aware of that. But please, I only want to find my friends. They're my only family left, and, hopefully, with them is someone very important to me."

The Exceed was quiet and then she sighed.

"You're lucky. You look like someone I used to know, and I couldn't ever say no to him. My name is Cass."

"Destiny."

Cass walked past him and he followed, catching up to her.

"Hey, how old are you?" Destiny asked.

"14."

"Cass... is that short for something else?"

"Cassandra. Now please, shut up and don't push your luck."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"You're a dope..."

* * *

Fate was getting tired of running, and she barely knew what the hell it was that she was running fro. All she knew was that the moment Olivia saw it, she grabbed Fate's hand and started running.

"Olivia-"

"Don't distract me! I have to remember the route so we don't get caught by those things!"

"But, what are they!?"

"Your Master sent you here, right!? Did he forget to mention the fact that the Hebi's aren't on anyone's side!? That they don't have a conscience!?"

"He..."

"It doesn't matter! Pick up your feet a bit more, got it!?"

Fate couldn't run any faster than she was. Olivia was practically dragging her, and she felt bad, but her fatigue quickly cancelled out her thoughts. She decided to just focus on running.

* * *

Destiny almost screamed when Cass stopped suddenly, before grabbing one of his arms and pulling him back the opposite way. He slipped across the floor as she turned the corner.

"Wh-"

Destiny didn't finish his sentence after he looked over his shoulder to find out what Cass was running away from, pulling him along. He could barely tell what they were, but he knew that they were black creatures of different shapes and sizes, and they had different colored eyes.

"They're called Hebi's, and if they catch us then we'll either be their dinner, or their new buddies!" Cass explained.

"They'll eat us!?"

"They'll kill us, and then eat us!"

"Or they'll-"

"All they need to do is touch you, and you'll end up turning into one of them within a good half an hour at the max! Now hurry up!"

* * *

Ethan pushed Namine aside, and his ankle was grabbed by one of the black creatures. He slipped as it pulled him, and his head hit the ground. After he lost his hat, he was pulled across the ground towards the horde of black creatures and the sudden jerk made him scream. He turned onto his stomach and grabbed at the ground, trying to stop the movement.

Akina grabbed one of his hands, and dug her heels into the ground as Namine wrapped her small arms around her waist. Chilled and Jordan grabbed Ethan's other hand, as Adam, Minx and Cathy wrapped their arms around the boys.

They were able to get Ethan out of the creature's grip, before Ruri attacked it quickly, stunning it. Rory grabbed her as they all got up and ran.

As Ethan grabbed his hat, he noticed that something black was wrapped around his foot, but he ignored it and followed the others.

* * *

Destiny heard Cass scream as they both fell into the ground in front of them. The creatures were smart, knocking them both off of their feet by throwing something bigger than them. What, Destiny was unsure of.

Destiny grabbed Cass and helped her to her feet quickly, before they both continued running.

"They won't give up, will they!?" Destiny asked. Cass shook her head.

"This is their floor! I forgot that, and came down here after sensing a high level of magic power! The Seekers of Nothing casted a spell that locked the Hebi's down here, so if we get upstairs, just one floor, then we'll be as safe as we can get from those things!" Cass explained.

Destiny nodded as they turned a corner, but suddenly stopped.

Akina, Namine, Adam, Cathy, Jordan, Chilled, Minx, Rory, Ruri and Ethan were running from another one of the Hebi's, and Destiny turned around.

"Other way, Cass!" Destiny yelled, and Cass didn't hesitate to start running once everyone was in a group together.

"Destiny, who's this!?" Akina asked.

"Cassandra! Call me Cass!" Cassandra replied.

They turned another corner, but came to another stop. Destiny's face lit up when he saw Fate, and she smiled when she saw her group, but their happiness was soon cut short.

As Fate and Olivia reached the group, Hebi's were coming at them from 3 directions. They all went in the clear direction, but soon enough none of them knew where they were going.

"Where do we go!?" Jordan asked, glancing behind him to see the Hebi's catching up.

"Well, the Hebi's are obviously hungry if they're this insisting, so I say we just keep running!" Cass replied.

"We have to get upstairs!" Olivia replied.

"I'm sure that we all agree on dealing with the son of bitches instead of these insisting assholes!" Minx yelled, getting a nod of agreement from the others.

"Wait, but what about everyone else!?" Fate asked.

"They're upstairs! I haven't used that spell in awhile, so I must've pulled a group of us down here, while the rest are on the floor above!" Olivia explained.

"Are you sure about that!?" Cass asked. Olivia nodded.

* * *

'A few more steps...' Fate thought. 'The stairs are right there, then we get out and we lock the door.'

As they reached the steps, the Hebi's caught up almost instantly. The group stumbled up the stairs, avoiding being caught. The door at the top opened, revealing Lucy and Wendy, who smiled and yelled at them to hurry.

They quickly reached the top, stumbling through the door and onto the other side, before Lucy and Wendy shoved the door closed and locked it without hesitation.

"Thank goodness you're all here!" Wendy sighed in relief.

"Is everyone alright?" Erza asked.

Everyone nodded, before Ethan suddenly gasped in fright.

"What's wrong, idiot?" Akina asked.

"I'm see-through!"

Everyone realized that Ethan was, indeed, see-through. Cass noticed why.

"Your leg! You got touched by a Hebi, didn't you!?" Cass asked.

Everyone noticed something black wrapped around the bottom of Ethan's leg, from his foot to his knee.

"Yah, but what does that-"

"You idiot! We should throw him back downstairs right now!" Cass yelled, but Olivia grabbed her before she could move.

"Hold on! We don't even-"

"You know what happens, don't you!? If they touch you, if they leave a part of themselves behind on you... you turn into one of them!" Cass cut off Olivia.

"There's a way to prevent that!"

"He's already fading!"

"Stop fighting!" Fate yelled, causing them to freeze. "We're not just going to throw my partner downstairs with those things!"

"What do you suppose we do then!? Let him turn, and then get ourselves killed!?" Cass asked.

"There's a way to prevent it, right?" Rory asked.

"Yah, but-"

"Then we're all going to prevent it. If worse comes to worse, we'll kill him ourselves. He's our comrade." Natsu said.

"I'll be damned if I let a comrade go without trying." Renee said.

"You'll all die trying..." Cass mumbled.

"So Mavis help us." Phil replied, getting a nod from the others.

"Thank you for helping me, Cass. You can have your freedom now." Destiny said.

Everyone got up onto their feet.

"I'm probably going to die already fr betraying the Seekers of Nothing, so I'll help you." Olivia offered.

"We appreciate it." Erza said.

"You're all serious!?" Cass asked.

"We're Fairy Tail. We'll never abandon a comrade, no matter the situation." Gray replied.

"Don't forget that, okay?" Destiny asked softly, before the group started walking.

Ethan looked worried as he stared through his hands.

"We won't let you fade, alright? Come on." Ruri said, walking past him. Ethan nodded, then he followed the group.

Cassandra couldn't believe them, and she sighed as she summoned her wings to fly away. But for some reason, she cancelled her magic and looked at the group as they walked down the hall. She took a deep breath,

"I'm going to get myself killed..."

And then she followed them.


	36. Together: A Promise

4 screams were heard and everyone gasped as Natsu, Gray, Lucy and Wendy fell down the flight of stairs in front of them.

When the 4 stopped at the bottom, they didn't seem to move.

"Are you 4 okay!?" Erza asked before they all ran down the stairs.

"S-Something like that..." Lucy replied. Natsu and Gray instantly got up.

"What the hell, Squinty Eyes!?" Gray asked.

"It was your fault, Droopy Eyes!" Natsu yelled.

Before they could start fighting, Erza glared at them and they hugged each other "like best friends" as Dan and Phil helped Lucy and Wendy get up.

Fate smiled before Olivia tapped her shoulder.

"Is it always like this...?" Olivia asked quietly. Fate nodded.

"Natsu, Gray and Gajeel all would stop in the middle of a battle to argue or fight each other." Fate replied.

"Fairy Tail is weird..."

"Well, we're certainly lively..."

* * *

When a certain familiar loud crash was heard, Fate froze. Shivers went up her spine and then came out as a small scream as she kneeled down, covering her ears.

"Now!? Now of all times!?" She heard Lily complain.

"Hey, you're not scared of thunderstorms, are you?" Olivia asked softly as she kneeled down beside Fate, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and placing a hand on one of her knees.

"A-A little..." Fate replied.

With another clap of thunder came a couple of screams from Fate and Lily.

"Geez, you 2..." Carla sighed.

* * *

Everyone sat in the hall, except Erza who was just leaning against one of the walls. Olivia seemed to be thinking, and then she sighed quietly.

"Are you okay...?" Fate asked quietly.

"Not really... if we don't hurry, you're partner probably will turn into a Hebi, but we can't rush because we have to avoid the Seekers of Nothing... and after this, I'll have to run for the rest of my life, most likely..." Olivia replied. Fate took a moment to think.

"You should come join Fairy Tail."

Olivia instantly looked up.

"Huh? But... even if I am helping you now, I was your enemy. Don't you think that everyone would take me as a spy?" Olivia asked.

"Maybe... but, Fairy Tail is open to anyone who wishes to join. Or so I've heard Master say this onetime..." Fate replied.

"That's certainly helpful in raising confidence..." Olivia said sarcastically. She was silent for a moment. "I'll think about it."

"Alright. We should get a move on, quick! Er... what was your name again?" Erza asked Olivia.

"Olivia." Olivia replied, helping Fate stand.

"Where do we go?" Erza asked.

"The room that we were in before. No one should be there because of my spell that separated everyone. Not only can we help... uh..."

"Ethan."

"Thanks... Not only can we help Ethan when we get there, but Fate and I also dropped 2 very important things in there. It's super important that the Seekers of Nothing don't get them first." Olivia explained.

Erza nodded.

"Let's go, then!"

Fate grabbed Olivia's arm as everyone started walking.

"Olivia, I-"

"Save the thought. Let's focus on the task at hand." Olivia cut her off.

"B-" Fate cut herself off with a sigh. "Okay..."

* * *

"There's just no way outta here... or around..."

"Aye!"

"You're just not looking hard enough, Flame-Brain."

"Watch it, Popsicle!"

"Oh really, you wanna go!?

"Right here, right now! Bring it on!"

Everyone sighed as Natsu and Gray started fight, except for Juvia, who started cheering for Gray. The group had come to a dead end, and the only way to go was back from where they came.

"More back-tracking, huh?" Cathy asked. Renee sighed.

"At the rate, we won't get out for a long time..." Renee groaned. Olivia seemed bothered by the fact that she couldn't tell her way around, not even a little bit.

"Are you okay...?" Cass asked quietly, surprising Olivia a bit at the softness of her voice and the worried look in her eyes.

"I... I can't tell my way around properly anymore... One of them casted a spell to throw us off—no. To trap us. We're not gonna get out of here until we save Ethan, which we need to soon, and once I can locate all of the magic sources. But we have no one with any mapping magic, and tracking magic is used only for humane purposes. We're stuck, and it really bugs me..." Olivia explained quietly, not wanting to worry anyone.

"Isn't there anyone with mapping magic here?"

"No... I don't think so. I can't sense any level of magic from anyone that's the level of mapping magic."

"You can sense magic in a level-way?"

"Fate and I, yah. It's a... user thing I guess... Hotaru is a tracker, so I considered tracking the magic sources, but it wouldn't work the same way..."

"Then we're pretty much stuck..."

Suddenly, Natsu and Gray flew over their heads, and through the wall. They all looked at the hole in the wall before glancing at Erza, who had been the reason. Olivia, however, took interest on where the 2 boys went and suddenly found a ray of hope.

There was a hall on the other side, and it went the way that they needed to go.

* * *

Fate wasn't exactly ecstatic to be back in the room from before, as the big wheel in the back freaked her out. Her thoughts quickly vanished when Olivia started to freak out about the keys not being where they were before and how she probably teleported them as well. Fate ran over when Olivia fell to her knees and grabbed the keys from her pocket.

"Olivia, I-"

"We need them to save your friend... even if there's a risk, they lessen the risk..."

Fate didn't hesitate to kneel down and hand her the Key of Crimson, obviously surprising her.

"I saved my thought."

Olivia took it from her and seemed less tense then from a couple of minutes ago.

"Tell me what we have to do." Fate said. Olivia nodded.

"It's like the spell from before. We have to use the keys and the wheel... but, there's a risk."

"What is it?"

"We... we could end up releasing the Angel of Darkness... and that wouldn't end up very well..."

Fate was suddenly stuck thinking. She had just prevented the release of the Angel of Darkness, for now. The person that Ava Evitt, the previous Sapphire, had made both Rory and Ruri so set on defeating. There was a risk of making Rory and Ruri face, probably, their worst nightmare in order to save Ethan.

She and Ethan had been together, basically always, after she had lost her family. Then they both lost Terra, Takanashi and Sina, although they were set on finding the 3 of them. They had travelled together for what seemed like forever before they happened to meet the group that had changed their lives.

They had joined Fairy Tail, _**together**_.  
They had gone on their first jobs as Mages, _**together.**_  
They had gotten stuck on Tenroujima and then returned, _**together.**_

Fate wouldn't be able to let Ethan go, especially after everything that had happened. Sure, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself for releasing the Angel of Darkness, but it was just a risk.

'And I sure as hell won't let Rory and Ruri down, and I won't get Olivia in trouble for it. I'll take full responsibility.' Fate thought, taking a deep breath and then nodding, helping Olivia get back onto her feet.

"A-Are you sure...?" Olivia asked. Fate nodded again.

"If the Angel of Darkness ever actually is released... I'd want Ethan somewhere on the battle field. We've always been together, and I'm not about to let that change." Fate explained.

"I'm guessing that you're not good with changes..."

"I don't like them... but if I couldn't handle them, I wouldn't be here. And that's another reason why I want to save Ethan. He's saved my life more than once... so now it's my turn to save _**him**_."

"I can understand that feeling..."

With a pair of smiles and nods of agreement, the 2 Exceeds didn't hesitate any longer to run over to the wheel.

'I won't break a promise...'

* * *

 _"Protect Ethan?" A younger Fate asked with a concerned and confused look._

 _A dark and light brown dragon, basically 10 or 20x her size, or even more because she was sitting in front of him, nodded. He folded his wings, seeming to scowl._

 _"I don't understand, Terra." The younger Fate said. "He's been protecting me, but you want me to protect him?"_

 _"Ethan has a tendency to start something, such as a fight, and then get too into it. He's still naive, and I'm afraid that something will happen and then he won't trust anyone. Not to mention, the boy is afraid of_ _ **water**_ _." Terra sighed._

 _"Actually, he's afraid of going more than waist-deep in water because he afraid of_ _ **drowning**_ _." Fate corrected._

 _"You see, Fate? You know even more than I do, and that's why I would trust you with his life."_

 _"That's not a good reason... I can't fight... I'm afraid of 6 different things, and I'm sure that I'll gain even more phobias while I get older! I'm smaller than most of the Exceeds out there, and I'm the probably smallest if you don't count those who are still growing! I'm just really not someone you should trust a life with..."_

 _"You will learn to fight, I have faith in that. And as you are now, you're highly intelligent and you're very loyal. You and Ethan share many things, and if one day he feels like there's no light, he'll have you there for him. Am I right?"_

 _Fate turned around, looking at the younger Ethan who was sleeping. His hat laid upside-down beside him, and his jacket was draped over a small girl and a little blue and white dragon, and they were also sleeping._

 _"What about Takanashi and Sina?" Fate asked as the little girl shifted, draping one of her small arms over the little dragon._

 _"They have each other." Terra replied._

 _"And you?"_

 _"This is for a reason, Fate. Will you accept, or reject?"_

 _"... I'll protect Ethan. I promise."_


	37. You can count on me, Fairy Tail

"You're sure this will work...?" Ethan asked nervously, looking down at Fate and Olivia, who both didn't seem so sure. Olivia shrugged. "Hey, at least _**try**_ to look hopeful!"

Olivia seemed to sigh.

"I want everyone to be at least 7-10 feet away from us, please." Olivia said.

"Why?" Rory asked, crossing his arms.

"Because I asked nicely." Olivia replied.

"But _**why**_?"

"What are you, a 3 year old asking for sweets? Move back."

Everyone seemed to start panicking when Rory and Olivia started to stare each other down. Fate pushed back Rory, pushing Olivia a little bit as well.

"Can we not do this right now?" Fate asked. They both opened their mouths to say something, but Fate quickly cut them off. "Rory, please back up. Olivia... no."

Rory and Olivia glared at each other before Ruri grabbed Rory's arm, pulling him to where the others had backed up to. Olivia seemed to glare more as Rory complained under his breath.

"Why 7-10 feet? That's so stupid, there has to be _**something**_ wrong with all of this..."

Fate sighed, patting Olivia's shoulder.

"Let's do this quickly, okay?" Fate asked.

"Whatever." Olivia replied, shrugging Fate's hand off and storming to her spot. Fate sighed again, and then ran to her spot across from Olivia.

"Uh... there's no risk to this, right...?" Ethan asked.

"Just stay still and there'll be no problem." Olivia replied, making Ethan freeze in his spot. Olivia glanced at Fate, who nodded.

They both held out the keys.

" _ **天国**_."

Fate had to hold back a scream, and simply covered her eyes, as the Key of Jade bursted into a bright light. She swallowed hard, and glanced at Olivia to make sure that she wouldn't start the spell without her.

" _ **我々は両方真実を知っています**_ _ **  
**_ _ **それは私とあなただけをだように私は、感じ**_ _ **  
**_ _ **我々は両方とも同じ感じ**_ _ **  
**_ _ **私たちは一緒にこのにいる、私たちは誰であるか知りません**_ _ **  
**_ _ **それは離れてそれをすべてから実行するには手遅れ**_ _ **  
**_ _ **それは離れてそれをすべてから取得する手遅れ**_ _ **  
**_ _ **この瞬間は、反応を起こしています**_ _ **  
**_ _ **私たちの再付着が生じ**_ _ **  
**_ _ **あなたは私は涅槃に時間がかかりますか**_."

Fate nearly blacked out under the pressure on her lungs, but managed to stay awake and nonetheless, standing. She looked around, seeing that everyone had been covering their eyes, and then quickly looked at Ethan and smiled when she realized that the black "root" had disappeared and he was no longer see-through. Ethan seemed relieved and he threw his hands into the air.

"I'm human!" He cheered, falling to his knees.

Fate couldn't help but run to Olivia, who had been sighing in relief that nothing bad had happened, and hug her tightly.

"Thank you..." Fate mumbled before pulling away.

Olivia quickly turned away from her after nodding in order to hide the bright pink blush that had spread across her face, even if Fate seemed to smile knowingly. She noticed everyone acting like nothing had even happened.

"You're not safe yet. You still need to get out of here, all of you." Olivia said, obviously shocked at the groups behaviour.

"We're all aware... but, this is Fairy Tail. I guess we're all children, huh?" Fate asked. Olivia took a moment, but shook her head.

"I don't think children would understand the situation..."

"I don't think we _**understand**_ , but we're _**coping**_ with the idea that we have a new enemy."

"I..."

Fate looked up at Olivia, who was looking down at the ground.

"I was on their side, even if I was messing with them... I was the enemy..." Olivia mumbled.

Fate was quiet for a moment before a small smile found its way onto her face.

"You know... I heard that Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord got into a guild war, and Fairy Tail won. After that, 2 former Phantom Lord members joined our guild." Fate explained. Olivia seemed interested, though she still looked guilty.

"Who?"

"Juvia Lockser and Gajeel Redfox."

"Really!?"

"Yep. And this one time, Fairy Tail got transported to Edolas, an alternate land in sorts of Earthland. Where us Exceeds originally come from. After a huge fight with the Kingdom of Edolas and Extalia, we were sent back and guess who joined our guild? Lily."

"You guys seem to take in a lot of your former enemies..." Olivia sighed.

"Mm-hmm. So no one should have a problem with you." Fate said, making Olivia jump a little.

"Hey, that's not a reason!"

"Oh really?"

Olivia sighed again, even though she did smile a little.

"Everyone! We should get out of here quickly, before we're never able to!" Erza yelled, gathering everyone's attention. "Olivia, do you know the way out?"

Olivia was shocked that Erza had asked, and that everyone looked hopeful that she did.

'Do they... actually trust me...?'

"Yes..." Olivia replied.

"Let's go, then!" Erza ordered.

When Olivia and Fate ran over to the group, who were running out of the room, Erza stopped Olivia momentarily.

"I'll count on you to get us out of here, okay?" Erza asked, although it wasn't really a question.

Erza ran off, following the group and leaving Olivia to register her words. Olivia took a deep breath and nodded.

"You can count on me, Fairy Tail."


	38. Allyn's: Nirvana: Goodbye, Jonah Greene

**A/N: My longest chapter yet! Here you go!  
Pfft, no I didn't cry- *bursts into tears once again***

* * *

 _A flaxen yellow Exceed fell onto their back, starting to bleed from just above his stomach. Fate stood by his head, staring down at him in horror before falling to her knees by his side, trying to stop the bleeding._

" _Jonah!"_

 _Olivia and a burnt orange Exceed ran over, the burnt orange Exceed sliding to Jonah's side after falling to his knees and Olivia falling to her knees by his head, propping his head up on her lap._

" _Oh god, please no! No, no, no…" Olivia whimpered, trying not to cry and horribly failing._

 _As Fate held one of Jonah's hands, he shattered into a million little pieces of light that almost instantly disappeared. The burnt orange Exceed stared in disbelief, tears brimming his eyes, and Olivia lost it, breaking down in tears._

* * *

"Carla!"

Carla snapped back into reality when Happy called her name, instantly looking at him. The group was running, following Olivia's directions, and she shook her head.

"What?" Carla asked.

"You completely zoned out." Happy replied, looking concerned.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"… Okay..."

Carla looked at Olivia, who seemed a little worried about something, but nonetheless kept calling out directions. What she found a little worrying to herself was how much Olivia seemed to glance at Cassandra, who was often glancing at Destiny for some reason. It didn't help that the green Exceed seemed really uneasy, even when the 2 groups had met up. He had put it off as being worried about Fate, but now that Fate was back with the group he didn't have many more excuses. I made her wonder what connection Erith and Destiny could have.

* * *

"What way now, genius?" Rory asked Olivia, who was obviously pissed off by his tone.

"Why don't you calculate it? You use Calculation Magic, no?" Olivia asked. They suddenly got in each other's personal space.

"That's none of your business!"

"And my intellect is none of _**your**_ business!"

"Olivia! Rory! Stop it!" Fate yelled at them, making them cross their arms and turn away from each other.

"Whatever, pipsqueak."  
"Whatever, shrimp."

Fate sighed at the insulting nicknames that she had been given, even if they didn't really insult her.

"Can we please just re-trace our steps and go around?" Fate asked.

"The way out only has one way to it from here and that was this way. They're trying to keep us here... this is Jonah's magic, unless they had Elwyn or Keil, or both of them, copy it." Olivia replied.

"So? Let's just blast through it like Natsu and Gray ended up doing before." Rory said.

" _ **So**_ , even if we did blast through it… there's going to be someone guarding the exit. Then they're going to call the others and we'll immediately be stuck here." Olivia explained.

"Well, how do we get out then?" Fate asked, throwing everyone into a thinking state.

"There's a passage in the Throne Room that leads to the right side of the town."

Everyone looked at Destiny in shock, except for Cassandra who only seemed a little upset. Destiny looked down, fiddling with his thumbs.

"You sure you're up for going there, Zach?" Cassandra asked, causing confusion amongst everyone.

"The real question is if you are, Cass."

"Zach… I knew you were looking uneasy! So that's why… that's important, Destiny! Why didn't you say anything!?" Carla asked.

"Carla, what do you mean?" Wendy asked. Akina coughed a bit, looking a bit guilty like she had known about what Carla just figured out.

"I had my doubts, don't get me wrong. Zachary Allyn was the youngest child of Julian and Claire Allyn, the rulers of Erith. There were 2 older children, and then his slightly older twin, Cassandra Allyn." Carla explained.

"Good, we're all acquainted now. Congrats on your logic!" Cassandra sighed as Olivia coughed.

"Akina, did you know?" Namine asked, getting a nod from her older sister.

"Seems little Miss Edeline did too." Akina replied.

"Only about Cassandra…" Olivia confirmed.

"Weren't all the Allyn's supposed to be dead, though?" Miharu asked.

"I thought he was."  
"I thought she was."

Cassandra and Destiny looked at each other before Cassandra looked away.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Erith isn't even on the map anymore, and we Allyn's are long forgotten." Cassandra explained. "Can we get out of here now? If we re-trace our steps and then go straight, we'll get to where we need to be."

* * *

"Where was it…?" Cassandra asked upon the group entering the Throne Room, taking off to search.

Destiny sighed, not understanding much about how Cassandra was there.

'To be honest, why am _**I**_ even here?'

Destiny jumped when a hand grabbed his shoulder, and the moment he jumped it pulled away. He turned around to see Fate, who looked concerned.

"Are you okay?" Fate asked softly. He nodded in reply.

"How about you, are you okay?" Destiny asked. Fate sighed.

"I'm not really sure… I think I just need to get out of here and get home so I can clear my mind for awhile."

"I can understand that feeling…"

They were both quiet for a moment.

"So a prince with a twin sister, huh?" Fate asked.

"Sort of… I was actually born a little before her, but everyone still took me as the youngest." Destiny replied.

"Must be weird, being back here…"

"Yah…"

"Did you know it was her?"

"I didn't know at first, even if I did have my suspicions. But the moment I heard her name, it clicked in my head…"

"… You're a prince, and yet you have feelings for me?"

Destiny sighed, his face going a bit pink.

"I can't really help it… when I first saw you; I just thought you were cute. But when I started to actually get to know you, I started to like you a lot. Then on Tenroujima, I realized that I _**really**_ liked you… I'm sorry…" Destiny apologized.

"Don't apologize. Like you said, you can't really help it."

They were quiet again, before Fate broke the silence again.

"Hey, Destiny…"

"Yah…?"

"After this, once we get back home… I promise that I'll give you my answer, okay?"

Destiny couldn't reply because Cassandra harshly grabbed his arm, pulling him along behind her.

"Neither of us could open it alone as kids, and I doubt that we could even after 7 years. Or 14." Cassandra said.

She brought Destiny around to the back of one of the thrones and then let go of him. She pointed to ancient lettering on the back of the throne.

"Let's focus our magic there." Cassandra suggested. Destiny nodded.

The pair both raised one of their hands and then focused their magic over the ancient letters. Destiny bit his bottom lip before glancing at Cassandra, who seemed entirely focused.

"Do you hate me?"

Destiny's eyes widened at Cassandra's question.

"Cassandra—"

"It's Cass, god dammit!"

"S-Sorry… Cass, I don't hate you."

"That's surprising."

"How!? You've done nothing to make me hate you."

"So you don't know what I did to survive the Hebi's?"

"No…"

"The only reason I'm alive is because they were too busy… eating our older siblings…"

Destiny's heart instantly dropped as Cass eyes were brimming with tears.

"They got me out… Gale and Abby, they helped me and told me to run… I swear, I promise, I tried to save them, but it was too late and I got scared, and I just… ran…" Cass explained. "The Seekers of Nothing, Emhyr was the one who released the Hebi's. Then he locked away his own fucking creation and they took over Erith, killing anyone that was left. I told them that my name was Cassandra Allyn, and they instantly locked me away instead of killing me."

Destiny was quiet for a moment.

"Mom told me to hide under my bed and to stay there, saying that she was going to search for everyone else. She didn't even make it out my door, and the Hebi left. When Dad found me, he told me to just go to sleep and that I'd wake up, seeing that everything was normal. "It's just a nightmare, Zachary" was exactly was he said before I did what he told me to. I woke up outside of Erith, seeing that the whole town was barely standing, and I wanted to go back a search for you, Gale and Abby… but I couldn't because I was a coward. I didn't want to die myself, and so I ran into the forest and I ended up falling down that steep hill we had walked past a lot when we always went camping… and from there, I met Akina and we joined Fairy Tail." Destiny explained.

"Y-You're not mad…?" Cass asked in shock.

"I can't be… not when I left you behind like that."

"They either would've killed you or locked you away too."

"But we probably would've been together, no?"

"I guess so…"

"Cass, you shouldn't be alone anymore. We should stick together so you don't get caught again. Come join Fairy Tail, it's open to anyone who wishes to join."

"Huh!? B-But…"

Destiny smiled.

"I'll put in a good word for you, okay?" Destiny asked. Cass hesitated, but nonetheless nodded.

"Okay…" She replied.

"But only if you don't call me Zachary. It's painful to remember when the others said it… at Fairy Tail, they recognize me as Destiny."

"I'll try, but no promises for anytime soon."

They both smiled at each other, and Destiny smiled even more upon seeing Cass smile for the first time in a long time.

"Now, let's focus on getting everyone out of here." Destiny suggested.

"Sounds like quite a plan." Cass agreed.

* * *

"Don't you think it's a bit dark in this passage?" Ruri asked, a bit uneasy as they all walked.

"A bit!? I'm _ **freaking**_ out!"

They all stopped and with the little light they had, from everyone's magic that was bright enough to be a light source, they turned to see the 4 cloaked Exceeds.

"I completely forgot that Giggles and the other 3 were there..." Lily mumbled.

"You guys have barely talked at all." Phil pointed out, getting a nod of agreement from Dan.

"Actually, it's only been Giggles who's talked." Adam also pointed out.

"Everyone's calling me Giggles now." Giggles sighed, seeming to whine to the 2nd tallest cloaked Exceed, who was clinging to the tallest cloaked Exceed.

"You guys aren't only quiet, you're weird…" Carla mumbled.

"Weirdly strong…" Lily added.

You're always showing up when we need help…" Hotaru added.

"Not to mention how you just happen to know everything." Jordan said.

"We have the same enemy. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend", no?" The 2nd shortest cloaked Exceed asked.

"The Seekers of Nothing seem to have a lot of enemies…" Minx sighed.

"Well, they're connected to many things. Erith, lots of murders, lots of kidnappings, the Angel of Darkness, etc. We have nothing to do with Erith, they didn't murder anyone we know and we're not _**too**_ interested in the Angel of Darkness at this point… but we're 99% sure that they kidnapped a group of people we know and are holding them somewhere." The tallest cloaked Exceed explained.

"That's not it, is it?" Adam asked. The Exceed shook his head.

"We _**are**_ interested in the Angel of Darkness, and we're also interested in the Key of Jade and its user."

Everyone's eyes glanced over at Fate as they got a little protective.

"Don't be like that. It's nothing that'll negatively affect Fairy Tail in any way."

"But why _**are**_ you interested?" Ryeluen asked.

"We knew Jade Konno, the Sapphire before the previous Sapphire and the previous user of the Key of Jade. She died of what we thought was natural causes, but turned out to be Darkness Poisoning. It's when darkness magic spreads through the body and slowly kills you by shutting down your internal organs." The Exceed explained.

"Not the nicest way to go…" Chilled commented.

"We're sorry for your loss." Charles said.

"You shouldn't be since it wasn't your fault. It was because of her own magic, which she held back. It's unhealthy to not use your magic, and even though she knew that, she didn't ever use her magic. Her exact last words were specifically to us, and she wanted us to find and protect the next user of the Key of Jade. _**That's**_ why we keep randomly showing up in your times of need, because all of you could instantly affect the mood of another, including Fate."

Everyone let the information sink in, even if most of it was hard to believe.

"You remind me of my Dad."

They all looked at Fate again.

"What do you mean by that?" The Exceed asked.

"You're so serious. And now that I think of it, you 4 remind me exactly of my family." Fate replied.

"You're weird." Giggles stated.

"And I'm taller than you, which is an achievement in my book."

* * *

"The air feels fresh!" Akina exclaimed.

"Shut up! We're not out yet! They could be anywhere!" Olivia hissed at her, making Akina sigh.

"We'd never make it out by just running up the side of the town. We need to go in a through." Cass said.

"Are you crazy? They might be waiting in there for us." Olivia said.

"I understand that, but they're more likely to catch us if we go straight out from here. If we actually go in, we _**might**_ have a better chance."

" _ **Might**_. We _**might**_ have a better cha—can I just ask you again, a little differently this time, are you _**insane**_!?"

"Aren't we all?"

Olivia shut up and just sighed.

"Fine…"

* * *

Fate almost crashed into Destiny when Olivia and Cass stopped running, and soon realized why. Jonah and James stood in their path, both seeming a little uncomfortable.

"Jonah… James…" Olivia muttered under her breath, backing up a little bit.

"Maybe you were right on this one, Olivia." Cass said.

Fate made eye contact with Jonah, who looked at the ground in shame.

"Jonah, James, please! Just let us through!" Olivia pleaded.

"W-We can't do that, Olivia… just know that we can't, even if we wanted to…" James said, his voice laced with shame.

"Then just turn around, and pick up your feet! Follow us, and it won't exactly be like you _**let**_ us pass you. If we all leave, we don't have to come back!"

"We _**can't**_ , Olivia! You can't! Jackson will hunt you down and you know that!"

"It was our plan though, right? We were going to leave, and we were going to do it _**together**_. Don't make me fight you, please… none of us want to fight, and you know that."

James took a step back, balancing himself before shaking his head.

"We know what our plan was, Olivia… but we can't _**ever**_ leave now… any of us…" James said.

"What do you mean? We're so close to the way out, we can—"

"Don't so naïve! None of you, neither of us… we can't leave!"

Olivia suddenly caught a glimpse of a barrier behind James and Jonah, and her eyes widened.

"Jackson Martin and Jered Asher our both half of the fucking devil himself…" James mumbled.

"Shit…" Olivia muttered.

The barrier suddenly became clear to all of them, and the runes that made the barrier appeared on the ground just behind James and Jonah.

"I've tried to re-write them… I couldn't…" Jonah said, still looking down.

"Because the only way to get rid of this barrier…"

Jonah and James both lifted one of each of their shirt's sleeves, revealing small black runes around their wrists.

"… is for us to enter Nirvana." James finished his sentence.

Olivia's heart dropped almost instantly.

"I tried re-writing all 3 of them, Olivia, I really did… and we know that you won't be able to kill us because you'll refuse. So no one is leaving Erith… especially not us…" Jonah explained.

"Unless one or some of you want to come kill us…" James added.

Everyone was quiet.

'No one offer, no one offer, no one offer, please…'

Olivia felt horrible for her thoughts, but Jonah and James were her best friends. They always had been since she joined the Seekers of Nothing, and they had planned to leave together.

"Even if no one does, James has offered to end both his life and my own if that's what you prefer." Jonah said. Olivia ran up to them without thinking and she slapped James, making Jonah flinch.

"Don't you _**fucking**_ dare, James Owen!" Olivia screamed at him, tears brimming her eyes.

"I kind of wanted it to be you, Olivia Edeline… but I know you would never… I want you to survive, even if Jonah and I die." James said.

"You're not going to die!"

"Yes we are, and there's no way to prevent that."

"Sorry… Olivia…" Jonah apologized.

Suddenly, someone slapped Jonah and it wasn't Olivia. Everyone stared at Fate in disbelief, having not expected that _**at all**_.

"You can apologize to Olivia when we all get out of here. _**All**_ of us, _**together**_ and _**alive**_." Fate said, grabbing Jonah's wrist with the rune on it, seeming to try re-writing the rune.

"I-I've already tried re-writing the rune…" Jonah mumbled.

"But _**I**_ haven't."

Jonah shut up instantly, watching as Fate worked on the runes covering his wrist. Olivia was still upset, and suddenly Rory went around her to grab James' wrist, working on his wrist.

"Want to call me a 3 year old now?" Rory asked, smirking at her. Olivia looked at the ground, crossing her arms and shaking her head before glancing back up to watch Rory work on the runes.

"You should be running instead… the Seekers of Nothing are gonna end up tracking you like this…" James sighed.

"There's nowhere to go anywhere, right? Plus, watching Edeline break down in tears like this isn't as amusing as you'd think." Rory said.

"Shut up…" Olivia muttered.

Jonah looked up to see everyone stationed, guarding the 5 of them. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Fate.

"None of us are going to kill either of you, and we won't let either of you kill yourselves or each other." Fate stated.

"But, the Seekers of Nothing are going to show up, they'll…" Jonah trailed off.

"We'll fight until our very last breaths if we have to. All or none… because Fairy Tail is a family."

"But, we're not—"

"Fairy Tail is open to anyone who wishes to join."

Jonah and James looked at each other.

"I was thinking of joining, once I got out…" Olivia admitted softly, making them look at her and then back at their wrists.

"But we were… we're still kind of the enemy." Jonah said.

"But you don't have to be." Fate said, making them go silent.

"Oi, Edeline! They wouldn't let out the creepy creatures, would they!?" Minx asked.

"They shouldn't… Emhyr locked them away in the basement for a good reason." Olivia replied.

"Oh, well that's funny considering the looks of _**those**_!" Dan yelled, pointing ahead of them.

There was, indeed, a group of Hebi's running at them.

"They're obviously very insistent at this point!" Renee yelled, her voice sounding like a tiny mouse: very high and squeaky.

"They shouldn't be hard to deal with, should they!? Just don't let them touch you!" Cass yelled, running forward.

"Cass!" Destiny called after her.

Cass stopped when she felt like she was close enough and then she gathered her magic together.

" _ **Enjerumajikku: Raitosōdo**_!"

Cass summoned a bunch of white swords and they were sent flying at the Hebi's. One of them tripped, but nonetheless the rest kept coming.

'I'm not exactly strong…' Cass thought.

Destiny suddenly grabbed her arm, dragging her back to the group.

"We should attack together, not rashly and recklessly alone." Destiny stated. Cass nodded.

"S-Sorry…"

"It's okay. Let's help the others instead of apologizing."

Cass nodded again.

"Everyone, get your magic ready! We'll only have one shot, so don't hold back!" Erza ordered, getting an "Okay" reply from everyone. "All together, now!"

" _ **Roar of the Fire Dragon**_!"  
" _ **Open, Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius**_!"  
" _ **Ice-Make: Lance**_!"  
" _ **Requip: Flame Empress Armor! Hi no Maho**_!"  
" _ **U~ōtāmajikku: O suraisu**_!"  
" _ **Roar of the Sky Dragon**_!"  
" _ **Roar of the Earth Dragon**_!"  
" _ **Roar of the Light Dragon**_!"  
" _ **Enjerumajikku: Tsuin'āto: Daburuteikuauto**_!"  
" _ **Roar of the Elemental Dragon**_!"  
" _ **Feitomajikku: Toripuruteikuauto**_!"  
" _ **Roar of the Water Dragon**_!"  
" _ **Hakai mahō + emerarudomajikku: Niruvu~āna no chūmon**_!"  
" _ **Majikkumaindo: Daburutsuisutā o**_!"  
" _ **Poizunmajikku: 5 Fīto ga dete, kobetsu oyobi supureddo**_!"  
" _ **Daten-shi majikku: Hakai**_!"  
" _ **Roar of the Ice Dragon**_!"

Everyone watched as their magic hit the Hebi's completely out of breath. When the dust from the attack hitting the ground as well cleared, everyone's eyes widened upon seeing that a small group of the Hebi's ended up surviving.

"What do we do!? We barely have _**any**_ magic power left!" Chilled said, and he wasn't over-exaggerating.

"We can't possibly take out that last bit of them... not like this..." Cathy mumbled.

Some of them were on their knees, others close to it. Suddenly, Fate and Olivia ran in front of the group, surprising them. They stood back-to-back and raised their arms 90 degrees from their sides, 2 of their hands facing their group and 2 of their hands facing the small group of Hebi's.

" _ **ニルヴァーナ**_!"

Their keys acted up at the word, which no one could understand.

" _ **ジェイドのキー、**_ _ **  
**_ _ **クリムゾンのキー**_ _ **...  
**_ _ **我々は**_ _ **2**_ _ **つの別々のユーザーがそうであるように、この瞬間に私たちに**_ _ **2**_ _ **つの独立した権限を付与します。**_ " The both of them spoke.

" _ **私の名前は雨今野ですが、名前はテラ地球ドラゴンによって私に与えられたように私は運命で行きます。**_ _ **  
**_ _ **私は、現在のサファイアとジェイドのキーの現在のユーザーです。**_ _ **  
**_ _ **私は呪われたと呪いと才能います。**_ " Fate spoke.

" _ **私の名前はオリビア**_ _ **Edeline**_ _ **です。**_ _ **  
**_ _ **私は何もの求職者の元メンバーとクリムゾンのキーの現在のユーザーです。**_ _ **  
**_ _ **私は呪いと私は、彼らが使用しているもの魔法の知識を与えるか、使用することができ、人々の魔法のレベルを感知する贈り物を持って生まれました。**_ " Olivia spoke.

" _ **あなたはこの正確な瞬間に私たちに付与するために私たちが望むのパワーは光魔法と闇の魔法です。**_ _ **  
**_ _ **我々は、物理的、魔法の友人たちを癒すことを望みます。**_ _ **  
**_ _ **私たちは、蛇の敗北したい、彼らはどこから来たのかにバックストレートにそれらを送信する：ディープニルヴァーナの深さに！**_ _ **  
**_ _ **私たちはこの願いを付与します**_ _ **...  
**_ _ **私たちはあなたを注文！**_ " They both spoke again, completely in unison.

" _ **ニルヴァーナは、私たちの願いを付与します！**_ "

With the last spoken phrase, everyone who had used up their magic was restored. All their magic was full again, and their physical strength was also fully back. They all watched as the Hebi's instantly froze and then fell before shattering into a million pieces of light and darkness that instantly vanished into thin air.

Olivia and Fate leaned against each other, panting heavily, before losing their footing and falling to the ground together, still back-to-back. They managed to stay sitting, and they both started laughing.

"You're a _**fucking idiot**_ , you know that...?" Olivia asked through her small laughing fits.

"Yep... and you're _**such a bitch**_ sometimes..." Fate replied through her own small laughing fits.

They both laughed at the insults.

" _ **I fucking hate you**_."

"And I got it!" They heard Rory cheer.

"We're going to be okay...? James, we're going to live!" Jonah cheered, hugging the burnt orange Exceed, who patted Jonah's head as he stared at his own wrist in disbelief.

"You should never think about killing yourself, no matter the situation." Rory said softly to James, who sighed and nodded.

Olivia and Fate helped each other stand, though they both could barely stand.

"A bit too much magic, shrimp..." Olivia complained.

"I'm aware, Edeline..." Fate sighed.

"Can we _**please**_ get out of here now?" Olivia asked, mostly pointing her question towards to Jonah and James. Everyone nodded in reply. They turned to leave and some of the even took a step forward.

"I'm afraid we can't just let you leave."

Suddenly, they were surrounded by all of the members of the Seekers if Nothing. Olivia and Fate both focused a bit of their magic on each other, healing each other physically and magically enough for them to be able to stand on their own. Olivia eyed the man with the silver hair and the tawny eyes.

"Xerum just let us go. We're leaving, and you won't stop us." Olivia said. Fate noticed Jackson and she took a couple of steps back.

Akina's eyes went over  
a man with ash blonde hair and bright green eyes,  
a boy with messy silver hair and navy blue eyes,  
a man with bright brown hair and navy blue eyes,  
a boy with flaming red hair and dartmouth green eyes,  
a man with long bright pink hair and navy blue eyes,  
and a woman with bright blonde hair and navy blue eyes, the one that Fate had shot in the arm earlier.

"Saith, Bryne, Lyn, Arwin, Selwyn, Eleri..." Akina muttered under her breath.

Ethan's eyes landed on the man with long black hair, with the silver streak, and tawny eyes. He and Fate had met him before, the one that the one in Oshibana had mentioned.

"Norrin..." Ethan mumbled.

"None of you can keep us here any longer! We're leaving!" Olivia yelled.

"There's nowhere to go, Olivia Edeline. You, James Owen and Jonah Greene made a big mistake by helping the little fairies out." Norrin said.

The Seekers of Nothing were in a circle around all of them, about 10 or so feet away from the group and with only 3 feet in between each one of them. They were honestly surrounded with no way out. They were trapped.

Fate heard the sound of a gun being cocked and instantly knew it was Jackson, aiming the handgun from before at her.

'And it's probably fully loaded...' Fate thought.

By now, Asher had told Jackson about her having the Key of Jade, and about her having it all along.

"Hand over the keys, Jade and Crimson, and we'll consider letting you all go." Jackson said. Fate took a deep breath.

'Nothing to lose much anymore...'

"Go to Hell, Jackson Martin."

He glared at her, but she kept looking at him straight in the eye.

"I could shoot you, _**kill**_ you, in the blink of an eye and you still insist on not watching your mouth? You're very persistent." Jackson stated.

"I'd survive a gun shot. I've survived so much more than just a bullet. Shoot me, I dare you. You need me around and you know that."

"You're slowly driving me to think that I'll be better off searching for the next user..."

"Maybe you are. Good luck finding the next Sapphire, too, and the next person with Hiketsu. Try finding someone exactly like me, Jackson. You can tell me all about it when you're on your knees in front of the devil."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I know exactly who I am, and exactly who you are. I've been around to see what's in the deepest depths of your twisted mind, and I hate you more than anyone in this universe."

"What are you going to do? Kill me? Do the same things I did to you?"

"I _**would**_ swear on Fairy Tail's First Master's grave that I would kill you... but you're not even good enough for that. I won't sink to your level, but you better watch your back."

"I'm _**this**_ close to shooting you..."

"I dare you to."

Fate didn't expect Jackson to actually pull the trigger, but she had dared him to do so. She heard everyone screaming at her, to her, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the bullet.

'I fucked up, didn't I? I'm sorry, everyone...'

Nothing happened. Nothing hit. No pain, no feeling of blood, but instead everyone gasped. Fate instantly opened her eyes, knowing that someone had taken the bullet for her.

'No...'

Jonah stood in front of her, frozen for a second, before the flaxen yellow Exceed fell backwards, straight onto his back, laying on the ground in front of her. For a few moments, she couldn't believe what had happened, and then it clicked in her head.

'No!'

Fate collapsed onto her knees beside Jonah, who was breathing heavily as blood trickled out of his mouth, and tried to stop the bleeding from his wound.

"Jonah!" Olivia screamed.

James slid to Jonah's other side, having fallen to his knees while running to his best friend. Olivia fell to her knees by Jonah's head, propping his head up onto her lap.

"Oh god, please no! No, no, no…" Olivia whimpered, trying not to cry and horribly failing.

James removed his jacket, pushing Fate's hands away from Jonah's wound as he applied pressure the wound with the article of clothing before looking back up at Jonah.

"Come on, Jonah! Don't you dare do this to us, man! We were going to leave, _**together**_! _**Alive**_ , Jonah!" James cried, the tears that had been brimming his eyes now streaming down his face, seemingly endlessly.

Fate looked at Jonah, her sapphire blue eyes meeting his baby blue ones. He reached out one of his hands to her, which she grabbed in the both of hers.

"Jonah… this is my fault, I'm so sorry…" Fate apologized, tears beginning to cloud her eyes.

"No… it's not… it's mine, I jumped… in front of you, Fate…" Jonah said weakly, coughing violently afterwards.

"I-I can heal you! Please, let me heal you! I can help—"

Fate was cut on when Jonah's body began to glow.

"You can't… I can't fix… the mistakes I made… I'm going to disappear… I guess we're not _**all**_ going to leave together… nonetheless alive… I'm sorry for ruining… everything..." Jonah apologized.

"No, you didn't ruin _**anything**_... I ruined it all, all of it…" Fate mumbled. Jonah shook his head.

"Just take care… of Olivia and James… okay…?"

Fate nodded, tears starting to escape her eyes.

"I'm sorry… I'm glad I got to meet you, Fairy Tail… It was a pleasure to work alongside you 2… Olivia Edeline… James Owen… thanks for being kind when no one else was… Ame "Fate" Konno."

Jonah shattered into a million pieces of light that almost instantly disappeared. Olivia stared for a moment before she broke down in tears.

"JONAH, YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE US! YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT! DON'T LEAVE US LIKE THIS!" Olivia cried, screaming at the top of her lungs. James wrapped his arms around her and they both cried on each other's shoulders.

Fate stared in disbelief, her hands covered in Jonah's blood.

'Your welcome… Goodbye, Jonah Greene.'

"I guess that's what happens when you screw around with Fate." Jackson said. His tone sounded like he was joking, and it echoed in Fate's head.

Fate got to her feet, tears falling onto the ground from her eyes.

"Was that… Was that supposed to be a _**joke**_ …?" Fate asked.

Jackson smirked, seeming to think that he had broken her. But he had just made her all the more stronger.

"Because _**I'm not laughing**_!" Fate yelled.

The last thing she remembered was the immense surge of magical power flowing through her body before everything went black for her.


	39. I'm Sorry: Blood Test

_A small mixed gray Exceed looked around, turning in circles as if searching for something or someone. Between all of the other Exceeds that were walking past, it was easy to see that she was wearing a long dark blue dress and a dark blue bow that was tied to near the end of her tail. A silver key necklace hung from her neck, and she wore a multi-colored bracelet on her right wrist._

 _"Dad! Mom! Henkou! Yuuki! Where did you go?!" She called, getting weird looks from some of the Exceeds around her._

 _She huffed and ran in a random direction, hoping to find her 4 family members. She suddenly tripped, falling into someone who just pushed her to the ground and told her to watch where she was going. She slowly sat up, still looking around for her family._

 _"Are you okay...?"_

 _She looked right, her sapphire blue eyes meeting a pair of baby blue ones. It was a little hard to see the flaxen yellow fur belonging to the Exceed, who looked about 2 years older than her, because he was covered in dirt. He held out a hand for her, and she gratefully took it. When he pulled her up, he smiled at her, but she couldn't smile back._

 _"You look okay." He said, and she remembered his question. She nodded a little, though she wasn't exactly being truthful. "Are you sure?"_

 _"Not really..." She replied softly._

 _"Why not?"_

 _"I got separated from my family, and I can't find them..."_

 _He seemed to think for a moment._

 _"What's your name?" He asked._

 _"Ame... Ame Konno..."_

 _"I'll help you, Ame." He promised._

 _Ame grabbed something from her pocket and put it in one of the Exceed's hands. It was a small amount of money._

 _"What's your name?" She asked._

 _"U-Uh... Jonah Greene. But, you really don't need to give this to me..." Jonah replied._

 _"You're helping me, and you... you don't have a family or anything, do you?"_

 _"N-No..."_

 _"So use that money to survive, okay?"_

 _"O-Okay... Thank you, Ame. Let's find your family now!"_

 _"Okay."_

* * *

There was constant throbbing, that sometimes felt like sharp like a knife, in Fate's head. Her eyes stung, and it didn't only hurt, but it just annoyed her. Her back and her sides felt stiff, but they also burned.

Despite the annoying stinging in her eyes, she slowly opened them, having to blink so it wouldn't hurt. Her vision was so blurry that she thought there was nothing around until her vision slowly started to clear.

She became aware of the brown ceiling above her, and the voices around her, before she instantly felt blood rushing to the back of her head. She instantly got dizzy, and could barely comprehend where she was or what was happening around her.

"Oh... are you awake?"

Fate recognized the voice and instantly calmed down, knowing it was someone that she could trust even if she couldn't pinpoint who it was. She turned her head, the right side of her face hitting the pillow under her head, before her eyes landed on Mira.

She instantly sat up, ignoring the near-to-unbearable pains in her head, back and sides, her eyes widening when she realized that she was in a part of the guild.

"Mira... what happened...?" Fate asked softly. Suddenly, she got more questions. "What about the others!? What about the—Mira, please tell me this is real!"

"Calm down, calm down. Everyone's okay, I promise." Mira replied. The response took a little bit of the weight off of Fate's mind.

"What happened, though?"

"You don't remember...? From what everyone told me, you _**teleported**_ them out of there."

"I-I... what?"

"I'm not sure of the full story myself, so do you want me to go get someone to explain?"

Fate nodded, but only because she needed a moment to herself.

"I'll be right back." Mira promised, leaving Fate's sight.

Fate felt relaxed, and nearly content, despite her fear of being alone. She was about to hug her knees to her chest before something crossed her mind. She lifted up her tank top, seeing the bandage that was wrapped around her stomach. She could almost feel the stitches in her side, which made her think of the probability of her thigh being stitched up and wrapped in bandage as well. She let go of her tank top, letting it fall, before reaching a hand up to her neck. When she felt her necklace, she raised her right hand to look at her wrist, sighing in relief when she saw her bracelet. She had everything.

Fate jumped a little at the tiny sound of something when she moved her tail a bit. She looked down, seeing the 2 gold bells that were attached to her dark blue bow. Destiny had given them to her, and she felt like shit for completely forgetting about them. She moved her tail just for the sake of hearing the sound of the bells, and her face heated up as a light pink blush dusted across her face.

She instantly had the time to think of everything that had happened in Erith.

She had learned more about Rory and Ruri, and all about Ava Evitt who was the previous Sapphire.  
Her group, plus some, had met Fairy Tail's new enemy: The Seekers of Nothing.  
She had met Jered Asher face-to-face, and then "met" Jackson Martin _**personally**_.  
She saw Olivia Edeline again, and fought alongside her.  
They had gotten to meet Cassandra... or Cass as she told them to call her.  
They had learned that Destiny was really Zachary Allyn, and that he and Cass were twins and the only survivors of the kingdom of Erith. Nonetheless, Erith's royal family.  
They, though mostly her, learned the truth behind Jade Konno's death and the reason why Giggles and the other 3 cloaked Exceeds were always showing up in the time of need.

And then Jonah.

'I don't remember anything from after... just after Jonah's death. All this Angel of Darkness stuff and all of... _**all of everything**_!' Fate thought. She sighed.

"Speaking of Olivia and Cass, I wonder where they are... and James, too. James was with Olivia, wasn't he...?" Fate asked softly aloud. She sighed again, and Jonah's last words to her repeated in her head.

" _ **Thanks for being kind when no one else was… Ame "Fate" Konno."**_

Tears clouded Fate's eyes. She had given Jonah the money because he was being kind to her, so she wanted to be kind to him. She remembered how Jonah had been so happy, telling James that they would both survive. She had told him that they would make it out together and alive, yet she went and almost got herself killed. Jonah had saved her, and his death was on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Jonah…" Fate sobbed, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her head into them. "I'm sorry..."

* * *

"I still don't understand…" Fate mumbled.

"We all thought you were literally going to kill Jackson, which we wouldn't have minded if you did, but instead you casted some sort of spell that got us out of there and back here. You've been out for a good day or so. We don't really know what happened either, but we're grateful." Destiny explained.

Fate let the information sit in her mind, slowly throwing it back and forth. Suddenly, she got a sharp pain in around the area of her stomach and she hugged her knees to her chest, once again, in an attempt to subdue the pain, in which it didn't work.

"What happened to Cass and Olivia? And James?" Fate asked.

"They all joined Fairy Tail while you were out. Olivia and James are obviously still upset over Jonah and they won't really interact with anyone who doesn't interact with them first, but when I asked them why they were being reserved, they put it off as being worried about you." Destiny explained.

"B-But I… I got Jonah killed in the first place…"

"James was a little mad, but I think Olivia calmed him down. I had an actual conversation with her, and she said that it wasn't your fault. She said that it was Jonah's own choice, and she said that the only person she probably wouldn't be able to get along with would be Rory… then she went off it muttering about how he was an annoying, nosy little 3 year old…"

Fate smiled and giggled a little bit.

"You know that Giggles and the other 3 cloaked Exceeds stayed around until they heard that you were awake and seemingly doing well. Then they all disappeared into thin air again." Destiny explained.

Fate quietly sighed in relief when the pain around her stomach went away.

"We'll see them again, I'm sure of it." Fate said, getting a nod of agreement from Destiny.

"You'll be coming home, right? Ethan complained all morning how last night was super lonely and really quiet. "Worst night of my life", I quote." Destiny said.

"I hope so. It depends on what Mira says though…"

Destiny nodded, and then the room went quiet. Fate bit on her bottom lip.

'I told him that once we got back, I'd give him my answer… I wasn't lying, but…'

Fate sighed softly.

'Now or never… Tell him now, or you'll never have the courage to do so ever again and you know it!'

"Destiny…?" Fate asked softly, her voice nearly cracking.

"Yah?" Destiny asked.

Fate took a deep breath.

"I—"

"Fate, would you mind—oh, sorry. Did I interrupt something?" Mira asked.

"N-No, nothing important…" Fate replied, making Destiny obviously confused.

"Okay… would you mind if I checked your injuries again?" Mira asked. Fate shook her head.

"I wouldn't mind…"

"I'll go socialize with the others and we can all come visit when Mira's done." Destiny offered. Fate nodded in agreement.

* * *

Fate and Mira were both almost completely silent while Mira checked Fate's injuries. When Mira was done, Fate suddenly wondered about something important.

"What about the egg that Destiny and I found?" Fate asked.

"It's alright. Everyone's been taking good care of it, and Destiny said that you and him can take it back home once you're able to go." Mira replied.

"Okay…"

"Fate, would you mind if I did a blood test?"

"Huh? F-For what…?"

"So I can test some things, of course."

"… Can you be more specific?"

"Fate, are you scared of needles?"

Fate didn't reply, and instead bit her lip again.

"You are, aren't you? I promise it won't hurt, so please." Mira said.

Fate sighed and nodded, looking away as Mira gently grabbed her arm, holding it out. Even if she wasn't thinking about it, and she was looking away, she could feel the needle digging into her arm and it made her uncomfortable.

'I really hate needles…'

* * *

"You really scared the hell out of all of us, pipsqueak." Rory complained, even though he fell onto his knees beside Fate and hugged her tightly.

"I'm just glad you're all okay." Fate said, trying to loosen Rory's grip on her. When he let go, he kept a hand on her shoulder, as if he was afraid that if he let go, she'd disappear.

"Are you doing better?" Ruri asked.

"Aside from still having a needle in my arm, I'm much better." Fate replied.

"Can't help it, Mira needs to test your blood. For whatever reason." Ethan said, obviously ecstatic that Fate was awake and okay.

Mira had allowed the 3 of them, and Destiny, come visit Fate in order to take her mind off of the blood test and everything else for awhile.

"You pulled off some major magic, both with Edeline and not, back there. Is that all back already?" Rory asked.

"Most of it, but I'm not exactly sure what any of it even was…" Fate replied. "By the way, how's Olivia doing?"

"You're wondering about Olivia, and Cass and James, right?" Ethan asked, knowing his partner pretty well. Fate nodded, a little sheepishly.

"Olivia and James are fine, and Cass is actually not as serious as we took her to be. Now that's she a part of the guild, nonetheless being able to see Destiny every day, she's really enthusiastic. I think she's been keeping Olivia and James on their feet as well." Ruri explained.

"You don't have to worry, okay? That's our job." Destiny joked. Fate nodded, even if she was still worried.

'Or maybe that worry is just me getting dizzy and tired from getting blood taken…' Fate thought, sighing a little.

She suddenly felt a pinch and she knew that it was Mira removing the needle from her arm.

"All done, see? Wasn't that bad." Mira giggled.

"I guess…" Fate mumbled, not able to focus.

"Feeling a little light-headed?"

"A little bit…"

"Well, Anemia will do that to you."

Fate just wanted to rest at that point, before she started to feel sick or something. Ethan seemed to notice and he smiled.

"You look tired, partner. We can leave and you can get some rest, if you want." Ethan offered.

"If you guys are okay with that…" Fate said.

"It's okay. Get some rest." Rory said, getting off of his knees.

"You're coming home, right?" Ruri asked.

"I'm sure she can." Mira replied, making Ruri smile.

"Good. Have a good nap, okay?"

Fate nodded.

"See ya', partner." Ethan said.

"Bye." Destiny said, getting up and leaving with the other 3.

Fate almost instantly fell onto her right side. She found it uncomfortable, so she rolled onto her left side. The moment she found a comfortable spot, she passed out.


	40. Author's Note

**A/N:**

 **The next chapter will (hopefully, I'm trying) be the Epilogue of Crossed Paths.**

 **THERE WILL BE ANOTHER STORY, AND IT'S GOING TO BE CALLED "Stay"**

 **I just want to say thank you to all my followers, and all those favourites. But mostly just to everyone who took a part of their lives to read this book. I hope that you'll follow me to the next one, where I'll be bringing in more characters, more plot/more twists and (hopefully) lots more fun and excitement!**

 **I hope you've enjoyed, please enjoy the next chapter when it's uploaded :3**


	41. Feelings (Epilogue)

A wave of relief washed over Fate when she even just stood outside the door to the apartment she and Ethan shared with Lucy, Akina, Namine and Destiny. And now the egg, soon to be whatever hatches from it.

As Lucy searched for the key, the door to the apartment beside them opened. Chilled and Minx fell out, soon followed by Adam, Cathy and Jordan. It scared the group, but nonetheless they laughed at the 5, who groaned and sat up. Charles took a step out, noticing the group. He smiled and waved a little.

"Welcome back." Charles greeted. He then noticed Fate. "Especially you. Feels nice to be home, doesn't it?"

Fate nodded.

"That's what you guys get for _**waiting**_ for them to get back." Miharu sighed, Ryeluen leaning over her with a smile on his face.

"I never knew that you guys lived next to us." Lucy stated.

"Better get used to it." Renee said, stepping over Chilled who was still lying on the ground, followed by Max.

"To be honest, I didn't know that we lived next to pipsqueak." Rory said, getting a nod from Ruri.

"It's really nice! Now we can all head to the guild together." Hotaru said, getting a pat on the head from Charles.

Cass made herself known, stepping out from behind Ruri.

"Oh, so that's where you've been." Destiny said, getting a smile and a nod from his twin sister.

Fate spotted James a little further away, and he broke the eye contact almost immediately. She had expected it, but she hadn't expected a small smile and a quick peace-sign from him, and it made her smile a little. The moment she wondered Olivia was, the older girl appeared at James' side. She didn't stay there long, as when she saw Fate she instantly ran forward, catching Fate off guard in a really tight hug.

"Ow... careful, careful..." Fate mumbled, getting Olivia to loosen her grip by a little, allowing Fate to hug her back.

"You scared the living hell out of me..." Olivia muttered, the restraint in her volume telling Fate that she was on the verge of tears.

"Sorry." Fate apologized. Olivia pulled away, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm being ridiculous."

"It's okay."

"I still hate you..."

"Vice-versa, Olivia Edeline."

* * *

Fate woke up to a loud sound, to her. She noticed that it hadn't bugged Ethan, who was still sound asleep, so she quietly got out of her little homemade bed and left their shared room.

'Maybe I just need fresh air.'

* * *

Fate wasn't expecting to see Destiny on the roof, but she decided to join him. She giggled when he jumped upon her sitting beside him, but he calmed down when he noticed that it was her.

"Good very-early-morning." Destiny greeted.

"What time is it?" Fate asked.

"Maybe like, 1 AM..."

"Why are you up so late? Or... early?"

"I just needed some fresh air, that's all. You?"

"I just needed to clear my head."

Fate hugged her knees to her chest, sighing at the sudden silence.

"Hey, Fate...?" Destiny asked, seeming a little anxious.

"Yah?" Fate asked.

"Um... when I was talking with Olivia, she told me not to push you too hard because Jackson had hurt you... would you be upset or angry if I asked what he did?"

Fate shook her head. She wasn't upset or angry, but maybe a little reluctant to tell Destiny what happened. She didn't exactly want to explain, so she gave him a simple answer that basically summed it all up.

"He gave me a 7th fear." Fate replied.

Destiny nodded, not planning to push the subject any further. Fate felt the soft spring breeze, and it made her glance at Destiny. She hadn't gotten the chance to give him her answer, and she bit her bottom lip thinking about it. Fate took a couple of deep breaths, letting go of her knees and straightening out her legs.

"I'm afraid of 7 different things. Sexual Abuse, Needles, Thunder and Lightning, Spiders, Being Alone, Closed Spaces and Losing Someone I Love. I have Anemia and a Nightmare Disorder, and the only way for me not to have a nightmare at night is to sleep in the same bed with someone I trust. I have a curse and a gift called Noroi, in which my right hand is dangerous and my left hand is not. I'm the User of the Key of Jade, I'm Sapphire, and I have something called Hiketsu. I might be really ditzy because I don't know barely anything about love... but I want to try to be someone that you can always count on."

Destiny let Fate's words sink in, his expression showing that he was confused. Fate's face was pink, and it became a darker pink before Destiny suddenly had a pair of lips locked with his own.

It took him a moment to realize that Fate was kissing him and when it clicked in his head, he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. One of Fate's arms wrapped around his neck, her free hand resting on his chest.

They pulled away when both of their lungs started to beg for air, and they rested their foreheads against each other's.

"I want to be there for you and everyone else as well. You've all been there for me, and you've had my back this whole time. I don't want to sit on the side, but I don't want to push you all to the side either. I want to fight back-to-back with all of you, and I don't want us to lose. Battles or family." Fate explained. "These are my feelings. They give you my answer: Yes."

Destiny pulled Fate into a proper hug, which she gladly accepted.

"I love you, Destiny."

"I love you, too, Fate."

* * *

"Giggles" yawned as her and the 3 other cloaked Exceeds sat on the top of Kardia Cathedral, over-looking Magnolia.

"So what do we do now?" "Giggles" asked, getting no response. "Henkou-nii, do you know?"

"I guess we just do what we always do, Yuuki. Wait, and protect Ame when the time comes around to do so." Henkou replied, his forest green eyes standing out in the dark. "Right, Mom?"

"You kids do know that eventually Ame _**will**_ find out that we're not dead. That this was a test, and we let it go too far." Their Mom sighed, covering her face with her hands. "Tenshi, what did we put our daughter through...?"

"Too much, Akuma... too much..." Tenshi replied.

"Ame-nee won't hate us, will she?" Yuuki asked.

"Well, you can't blame her, but I hope not..." Henkou replied. "Huh, Giggles?"

"I actually kind of like that nickname..."

"What do we do about all of the kids though? Do you think that Fairy Tail can go up against the Seekers of Nothing, nonetheless defeat them?" Akuma asked. Tenshi sighed.

"I really don't know... but I know that Ame has good friends in Fairy Tail, so she'll be okay." Tenshi replied.

They all nodded, though they were all really worried.

* * *

"Ruri!"

Ruri woke up to the soft, quiet call and turned onto her back to see Rory. She sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"What is it?" Ruri asked softly, not wanting to wake Adam or Cathy.

"Um..." Rory's face went a little pink. "I don't want to sound childish or anything, so... to calm my nerves, would you mind if I slept next to you?"

Ruri went a little pink as well, but she smiled.

"You're worried, aren't you?" Ruri asked.

Rory seemed to pout, and Ruri laughed a bit. She moved over to make room for Rory and then held up the covers for him to slip in, which he did. Since Rory was lying on his back, Ruri took the opportunity almost instantly to lie down herself, resting her head on Rory's chest. Rory seemed to hesitate, but he sighed and wrapped his arms around Ruri, who gladly accepted the action.

"Sorry about this..." Rory sighed.

"It's not a problem. It's really cute and sweet." Ruri stated.

"I guess so..."

It was quiet for a moment.

"Hey, Rory?" Ruri asked.

"Yah?"

"What'll happen if the Angel of Darkness really is released...? Do you think that we'll have the Angel of Light and the Little One by then? And if we don't, do you think that we and Fate will be able to seal her away again?"

"I don't know... but what I do know is that I'll be right beside you if it does happen."

"Promise...?"

"I promise."

* * *

 _"You wanna know something?"_

 _"What...?"_

 _"We met for a reason, and a very good one. I'm glad we_ _ **Crossed Paths**_ _."_


End file.
